CAS CC 111 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - White Dwarf, Weak Interaction, Volatiles

• School: Boston University
• Department: Core Curriculum
• Course: CAS CC 111
• Professor: Kurst

Document Summary

Lecture notes lecture #3 (on the origin of stars and galaxies): Inflation model of the universe: everything in the universe was very close together at some point and reached thermal equilibrium, and then the universe rapidly expanded. 75% hydrogen nuclei, 25% helium nuclei, less than 1% electrons t = 380000 years after the big bang: electrons start sticking to nuclei and making atoms, and the universe becomes transparent. Newton"s law of universal gravitation: f1 = f2 = (g*m1*m2)/(d^2) As the universe cools, hydrogen and helium atoms clump into stars and galaxies thanks to gravity. Einstein theorizes that mass warps space and time (theory of general relativity) Basically, without mass, things travel in a straight line, but with mass, space-time gets curved, and things move in orbits. Again, mass warps space-time, which makes objects move in orbits (think of the sheet demo!) Gravitational lensing: happens when light rays are deflected by the gravity of a massive object.