ASTRON C10 Chapter Notes - Chapter 19: Cosmic Microwave Background, Planck Time, Cosmological Principle
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ASTRON C10 Full Course Notes
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Quasars, only distant objects with large redshifts. Photons scatter (ie. reflect) off of free electrons, so universe was opaque (for 400"000 years) Electrons combined with protons to form neutral hydrogen atoms. Pre-recombination, universe was bright. but with expansion, it got increasingly dimmer as wavelengths of photons increased. Went from optical/infrared wavelengths to microwave/radio wavelengths. Are bound together by gluons to form protons and neutrons, used to roam freely. Primordial nucleosynthesis : by age 10 mins, the universe had formed light elements: Relative proportions of various isotopes of lightest elements. Evolution of the universe over a finite amount of time. Separate regions could never have been in thermal equilibrium. Guth believed that the universe started even smaller than we thought, and expanded by continually doubling its size, contrary to a constant or decelerating expansion. Before inflating, could have reached thermal equilibrium. Strong, works over long distances, but only affects charged/magnetized objects. Weak nuclear force: super weak, really short range.
