ERS120H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Protostar, Chondrite, Peridotite
Document Summary
According to the bbt, all matter and energy everything that now constitutes the universe was initially packed into an infinitesimally small point. Within a few seconds hydrogen atoms began to form and by the time the universe reached an age of 3 minutes its diameter had growth so large that hydrogen atoms could fuse together to form helium atoms. As the universe continued to expand and cool further, atoms and molecules slowed down and accumulated into patchy clouds called nebulae. The gravitational pull of an initially more massive region of nebula began to suck in surrounding gas, the gas compacted into a smaller region, and the initial swirling movement of gas transformed into rotation around an axis. Because of increased rotation, the nebula evolved into a disk shape and gravity collapsed the inner portion into a dense ball. Eventually, the center became hot enough to glow and formed a protostar. Hydrogen fusion then occurs, producing huge amounts of energy.
