AST201H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: White Dwarf, Structure Formation, Big Bang

• School: UTSG
• Department: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Course: AST201H1
• Professor: Michael Reid

Document Summary

Big bang theory predicts that the universe began in a hot, dense state. If universe began in a hot dense state, we should be able to detect this light and it should be a black body spectrum. We have detected this light cmb and is detected in all directions and black body spectrum with peak of temperature at 2. 73k. From free electrons absorbing all the light, opaque universe electrons combining with nuclei and forming neutral atoms so now light can stream freely and now transparent universe which happened when universe was. 380,000 yrs old & temperatures fallen to 3000k. Also cmb is not perfectly uniform, it has slight enhanced density also agrees to our understanding of how galaxies formed. Supercomputers can simulate the growth of galaxies, clusters and larger structures from tiny density enhancements as the universe evolves it shows how matter should be distributed throughout the entire observable universe.