Astronomy                 Natural Science 1001

Courses
Astronomy
Meteorology
Geology

Links
Astronomy
Meteorology
Geology

Primary goals

• Describe the basic ideas of the Big Bang model
• Discuss primary evidence for Big Bang model

Much of the material in Chapter 23 assumes a good science background. Stick to the pages listed in the text.

What is the Big Bang model?   [left column p. 647]  

Big Bang Model      Explanation D2L

• Just after the beginning
  --Universe is all energy   ["Particle Creation and Annihilation" p. 648]
• Protons, neutrons, electrons form    ["The Particle Era"  p. 650-651]
• Heavier nuclei form    ["The Era of Nucleosynthesis"  p. 651]
• Photon soup
• Atoms form--Universe transparent    ["The Era of Atoms and the Era of Galaxies"  p. 651]
• Misconceptions about the Big Bang
• Links--these are descriptions of aspects the Big Bang model. They go from simpler to more complex.
  --U of Wisconsin
  --Intro from Cornell
  --Notes from Michael Richmond
  --Detailed, but not too deep, from Cambridge
  --In detail from NASA and in pdf format

How do we know this stuff?       

• Motion of galaxies   ["How do galaxies move within the universe"  p. 16-19]     Explanation D2L
  --Evidence
  --Conclusion
• Cosmological redshift  [p. 618]
• Expansion of the Universe--Misconceptions
• Cosmic Microwave Background--Idea  [p. 654-655]    Explanation D2L
• Cosmic Microwave background--Finding the CMB
• Abundances of elements   [p. 656-657]

How old is the Universe?