Notes
Slide Show
Outline
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ASTR 5460, Mon. Nov. 15, 2004
  • “Cosmology”
  • Combes et al. chapter 13, also Longair (chapters 5-9), plus supplemental sources (Hogg papers, Ned Wright and Wayne Hu webpages, WMAP results)


  • Other:
    • Proposal Project prelims
    • Mini-TAC exercise Tuesday 5pm at Library
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Supplemental Web Sources
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Basic Cosmology Assumptions
  • Homogeneity – matter is uniformly spread across the universe on large scales


  • Isotropy – the universe looks the same in all directions, again strictly true on large scales


  • Universality – laws of physics apply everywhere in the universe (being challenged!)


    • These lead to the “cosmological principle” which says that any observer in any galaxy in the universe should see essentially the same features of the universe.
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Homogeneity and Isotropy
  • Formalism is built on notion that the universe is homogeneous and isotropic, at least on the largest scales.  Is it???
  • Locally the universe is not homogeneous.  Is this an issue?  Keep in mind.
  • Characteristic gravitational timescale:  tc = 1/(Gρ)1/2 ~ 1010 years
  • Also light speed gives us a natural distance scale: L ~ c/(Gρ)1/2 ~ 3000 Mpc
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Homogeneity and Isotropy
  • Can measure isotropy and homogeneity on different scales.  ‘Nearby’ using galaxies, at early epochs using the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR).
  • Some more on this later, but note that temperature inhomogeneity corresponds to a density inhomogeniety via Einstein effect (through gravitational frequency shift, verified by Pounds and REBKA):
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Homogeneity and Isotropy
  • Also note that there may be apparent inhomogeneities from the radiation passing through an inhomogeneous, expanding medium, so there is a differential effect.
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Robertson-Walker Metric
  • Homogeneous and Isotropic universe is described geometrically by a metric, or line element, in GR, for “pressureless dust”.
  • A nice webpage about the Friedman equation and the Robertson-Walker Metric: http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/~jpl/cosmo/friedman.html
  • Textbook (Combes) is alternatively light and heavy on these topics.  Anyway, R-W metric:
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Geometry of the universe
  • R-W metric in spherical coordinates:




  • The curvature k=+1 for spherical, 0 for flat, and -1 for hyperbolic spacetime.
  • Spherical spaces are finite volumes, other geometries may or may not be finite.
  • Note, photon trajectories obey ds2=0.
  • GR has a tensor formalism we won’t get into.



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Geometry of the universe and redshift z
  • ds2=0 is what is called a “null geodesic” and here we consider the radial case of an observer at r=0:


  • Coordinate of a light source, r1, is then







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Geometry of the universe and redshift z
  • Now for two events separated by dt1:


  • And from this we get



  • So if a source emits at a frequency ν1=1/dt1




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Distances (see also Hogg)
  • Many different ways of defining distance
    • Rulers, parallax, angular diameter of object of known size, measurement of apparent brightness of a standard source, radar echo, etc.  All do not give the same result in cosmological theory.
  • Can write all the distances as d = z/H0+O(z2)
  • I suspect the Hogg et al. article will be clearer than the text…or me.
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Distances in Cosmology
  • Left, illustrating “angular diameter distance” and right, illustrating “luminosity distance.”
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Angular Distance
  • Dθ = D/θ where D is the real size of the object (e.g., standard ruler) and theta is the apparent angle on the sky (assuming no projection effects).
  • Distance between ends of the ruler is given by D2 = -ds2 = +R2(ts)r12 θ2 (see figure) so D = R(ts)r1θ, so
  • Dθ = D/θ = R(ts)r1 where r1 depends on the cosmology as before and is modified for spherical or hyperbolic cosmologies from the flat case (and keep in mind R(t) varies)
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Luminosity Distance
  • Luminosity distance is the distance that makes the standard flux-luminosity-distance equation work (if you know what the luminosity is, and measure a flux, what is the luminosity distance?  Just the flux time 4πD2.  Now…in terms of the scale factor…
  • Keep in mind cosmological time dilation and spatial expansion, which will give factors of 1+z each.


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Luminosity Distance
  • Energy received at telescope:




  • Talking about the differential time.  Keep in mind cosmological time dilation and spatial expansion, which will give factors of 1+z each.


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Luminosity Distance
  • Apparent luminosity is:







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Distances in Cosmology
  • Left, illustrating “angular diameter distance” and right, illustrating “luminosity distance.”
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Luminosity Distance
  • Be aware we’re talking about bolometric luminosity.  Things get more complicated when you keep in mind that frequency changes with redshift.  Monochromatic luminosities/fluxes will need to take this into consideration.  This effect is related to k-corrections.  The other Hogg paper may be useful.
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Proper Distance
  • This is a more theoretical construct, less subject to observation.  It is the “same-time” distance.




  • Point here really is that there are several distances in question, and that distance is not absolute.
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Microwave Background Temperature Spectrum
  • Best Blackbody in nature!!!
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Microwave Background Temperature Spectrum
  • Textbook goes through the argument about how conservation of photons per volume element leads to the preservation of a blackbody, albeit at lower temperature.
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Friedman Equation
  • Homogeneous and Isotropic universe is described geometrically by a metric, or line element, in GR, for “pressureless dust”.
  • Einstein field equations yield the Friedman Equation (no cosmological constant):



  • Term on left is Hubble parameter: or            H = 1/R(dR/dt), and k is the curvature term from the R-W metric (-1,0, or +1)
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Friedman Equation
  • Einstein field equations yield the Friedman Equation (with cosmological constant):



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Summary of key parameters
  • You should know these.  All functions of time, too.
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A Bunch of Stuff, Equations
  • This will get filled in by Wednesday’s lecture.  If desperate, read the text or go to the Longair lecture slides.
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Scale Factor and Curvature
  • In zero-Λ cosmologies, you get this well known behavior.
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Scale Factor in non-zero Λ Cosmology, function of k, Ωo
  • Behavior can be rather complicated, and…
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Second prediction from Big Bang Model:
Abundance of the light elements
  • Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
    • T, r both high enough at start to fuse protons into heavier elements
    • T, r  both dropping quickly so only have time enough to fuse a certain amount.


    • Simple models of expansion predict 25% abundance He
      • 25% is the amount of He observed
    • Abundance of 2H, 3He, 7Li depends on rnormal matter
      • Suggests rnormal matter is only 5% of rcritical
      • But we need to also consider “dark matter” and its gravity
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Primordial Light Element Abundances
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Neutrino Species
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Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
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Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
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CMB Power Spectrum
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Main Tests of the Big Bang
  • Hubble Expansion (not a test really, inspiration)
  • Cosmic Microwave Background
  • Abundance of light elements

    Refinements of Big Bang Still Being Tested
    • Possible “cosmological constant”
    • Very early history:
      • particle/antiparticle asymmetry
      • “inflation” -- Details of very early very rapid expansion
      • small r, T fluctuations which lead to galaxies

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Critical points with time running forward
  • 10-45 sec Quantum gravity?  Physics not understood
  • 10-34 sec 1026 K Nuclear strong force/electro weak force separate
    (inflation, matter/antimatter asymmetry)
  •   10-7 sec 1014 K Protons, AntiprotonsÛphotons
  •   10-4 sec 1012 K Number of protons frozen
  •     4   sec            1010 K                  Number of electrons frozen
  •     2   min Deuterium nuclei begins to survive
  •     3   min 109  K Helium nuclei begin to survive
  •   30   min           108  K                     T, r too low for more nuclear reactions
    (frozen number of D, He – critical prediction)
  • 300,000 yr 104  K Neutral H atoms begin to survive
    (frozen number of photons – critical prediction)
  •  ~1 billion yr Galaxies begin to form
  • 13.7 billion yr Present time