Topic 1: The Big Bang Theory - RADIATION ERA

The Big Bang Theory

Cooling down of subatomic particles and the formation of the first stars.

The Big Bang Theory

All matter that is ever present in the universe came from the Big Bang.

The Big Bang Theory

Cosmic background radiation; the universe is expanding

Georges Lemaître, 1927

Who was the Belgian priest that first suggested the big bang theory where he theorized that the universe began from a single primordial atom? When did this happen?

The Big Bang Theory

The idea received major boosts from Edwin Hubble's observations that galaxies are speeding away from us in all directions.

1960s by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson

When was the discovery of Comic Microwave Radiation (CMR)? By who?

Cosmic Microwave Radiation

It was interpreted as echoes of the big bang.

The Big Bang Theory

States that the universe began as a hot and infinitely dense point; about14 billion years ago, this tiny singularity violently exploded wherein matter, energy, space, and time were created.

The 2 Major Eras of the Big Bang Theory

Radiation Era and Matter Era

Radiation Era

After the explosion, the universe was dominated by radiation all over it. It consists of several epochs within the universe’s first tens of thousands of years.

Planck Epoch

It is within the Radiation Era and no matter existed during this time but only ENERGY and the ancestor to the 4 FORCES of NATURE which are called SUPERFORCES.

Gravity, Strong Nuclear Force, Weak Forces, and Electromagnetic Force

What were the “superforces” in the Planck Era?

Grand Unified Theory

During this period, 3 of the four fundamental interactions—electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak forces—were unified as the electronuclear force.

Grand Unified Theory

Gravity had separated from the electronuclear force at the end of the Planck era.

Grand Unified Theory

At the end of this epoch, the strong nuclear forces broke away and the two remaining superforce were labeled as electroweak (weak forces and electromagnetic force).

Grand Unified Theory Temperature & Time

Temperature: 10^36 Kelvin

Time after Big Bang: 10^-43 seconds

Inflationary Epoch

The universe is rapidly expanding as an after-effect of the separation of the strong nuclear force.

Inflationary Epoch

As a comparison, it grew from the size of an atom to the size of a grapefruit.The universe was piping hot and it churned with electrons, quarks, and other particles.

Electroweak Epoch

As space expanded more rapidly than the speed of light, extremely energetic interactions created elementary particles such as photons, gluons, and quarks.

Inflationary Epoch Temperature & Time

Temperature: 10^33 Kelvin Time after Big Bang: 10^-36 seconds

Electroweak Epoch Temperature & Time

Temperature: 10^20 Kelvin

Time after Big Bang: 10^-32 seconds

Planck Epoch Temperature & Time

Temperature: 10^40 Kelvin Time after Big Bang: Immediate

Electroweak Epoch

The era ended with the separation of electromagnetism from the weak force.

Quarck Epoch Temperature & Time

Temperature: 10^16 Kelvin Time after Big Bang: 10^-12 seconds

Quark Epoch

In this epoch, all the universe’s ingredients were present; said that the universe has cooled down to about 10 quadrillion degrees and the four fundamental forces are separate, the universe had a higher degree of stability.

Quark Epoch

We begin to see the rapid formation of quarks and anti-quarks. These particles collide and annihilate one another on impact. But, the universe is still too hot and dense for subatomic particles to form.

Hardon Epoch Temperature & Time

Temperature: 10^10 Kelvin Time after Big Bang: 10^-6 seconds

Hardon Epoch

During this time, the universe has cooled down enough for quarks to bind together, forming protons and neutrons.

Hardon Epoch

Before the start of the hadron era, quarks behaved as free particles. The process by which hadrons formed from these quarks is called the quark–hadron phase transition.

Lepton Epoch Temperature & Time

Temperature: 10^12 Kelvin

Time after Big Bang: about 1 second

Nuclear Epoch Temperature & Time

Temperature: 10^9 Kelvin

Time after Big Bang: about 100 seconds

Lepton and Nuclear Epochs

In these epochs, protons and neutrons underwent a significant change. They fused and created nuclei, and in doing so they created the first chemical element in the universe, Helium (He).