Cosmology - The End of the Universe (Part I)

OPENING QUESTIONS: Please take a few moments to suggest various possible methods for creating your "Once Upon A Proton" assignment-- feel free to free associate, just shout out whatever comes to mind (well maybe not 'shout', but you get the idea!)

OBJECTIVE:  I will finish the cosmic red shift graphing activity during today's class.

I will get my first look at the astounding time scales for version of the End of the Universe during today's class.

WORDS FOR TODAY:

  • Planck Time (10-43 sec after the Big Bang)
  • CMBR ("Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation")

TIMELINE:

        10-43 sec: Planck Time- The farthest back in time we think we'll ever be able to describe with science & math asdf

        10-32 sec: Inflation- The Universe expands *suddenly* faster than the speed of light (still too hot for light) sdf

        10-6 sec: Fundamental particles form(but still too hot for light) fs

        380,000 years: The Universe cools off enough for electrons to get captured to form complete hydrogen and helium atoms. (finally 'cool' enough for light to shine!) s

WORK O' THE DAY: 

Once Upon A Proton, questions? comments? concerns?

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One of the most intriguing questions in all of Cosmology is "How will the Universe End?"

We have very good data to suggest that the Universe went through an incredible period of INFLATION that started a trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second (or so!) after the Big Bang. That period only last from about 10-36 seconds and last until about 10-32 seconds.

The Universe then expanded at a more or less constant rate for about 5 billion years. Our very best science indicates that the Universe suddenly started to accelerate and it continues to do that to this day.

However, if the Universe goes back to expanding at a constant rate some VERY interesting scenarios will come to pass.

Scenario--- The Universe Expands Forever!

Here's a very provocative/speculative video that one of my students found online a few years ago that I absolutely love. It suggests what the Universe might look like if it just kept expanding forever! (*YIKES*)