scholarly journals The limits of cosmology: role of the Moon

2020 ◽  
Vol 379 (2188) ◽  
pp. 20190561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Silk
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Star Clusters ◽  
Far Infrared ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Habitable Zone ◽  
The Moon ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Infrared Telescopes

The lunar surface allows a unique way forward in cosmology, to go beyond current limits. The far side provides an unexcelled radio-quiet environment for probing the dark ages via 21 cm interferometry to seek elusive clues on the nature of the infinitesimal fluctuations that seeded galaxy formation. Far-infrared telescopes in cold and dark lunar polar craters will probe back to the first months of the Big Bang and study associated spectral distortions in the CMB. Optical and IR megatelescopes will image the first star clusters in the Universe and seek biosignatures in the atmospheres of unprecedented numbers of nearby habitable zone exoplanets. The goals are compelling and a stable lunar platform will enable construction of telescopes that can access trillions of modes in the sky, providing the key to exploration of our cosmic origins. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Astronomy from the Moon: the next decades’.

The First Stars

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham Loeb ◽  
Steven R. Furlanetto
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Early Universe ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
First Stars ◽  
Complex Chemical ◽  
Radiative Processes ◽  
Complex Processes ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe

This chapter considers the emergence of the complex chemical and radiative processes during the first stages of galaxy formation. It studies the appearance of the first stars, their feedback processes, and the resulting ionization structures that emerged during and shortly after the cosmic dawn. The formation of the first stars tens or hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang had marked a crucial transition in the early Universe. Before this point, the Universe was elegantly described by a small number of parameters. But as soon as the first stars formed, more complex processes entered the scene. To illustrate this, the chapter provides a brief outline of the prevailing (though observationally untested) theory for this cosmological phase transition.

scholarly journals Limitations of Observational Cosmology

1990 ◽  
Vol 123 ◽  
pp. 543-550
Author(s):  
Menas Kafatos
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Theoretical Physics ◽  
Observational Cosmology ◽  
Observable Universe ◽  
Fundamental Properties ◽  
Distant Galaxies ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe

AbstractUnlike the usual situation with theoretical physics which is testable in the laboratory, in cosmological theories of the universe one faces the following problems: The observer is part of the system, the universe, and this system cannot be altered to test physical theory. Even though one can in principle consider any part of the observable universe as separate from the acts of observation, the very hypothesis of big bang implies that in the distant past, space-time regions containing current observers were part of the same system. One, therefore, faces a situation where the observer has to be considered as inherently a part of the entire system. The existence of horizons of knowledge in any cosmological view of the universe is then tantamount to inherent observational limits imposed by acts of observation and theory itself. For example, in the big bang cosmology the universe becomes opaque to radiation early on, and the images of extended distant galaxies merge for redshifts, z, of the order of a few. Moreover, in order to measure the distance of a remote galaxy to test any cosmological theory, one has to disperse its light to form a spectrum which would cause confusion with other background galaxies. Since the early universe should be described in quantum terms, it follows that the same problems regarding quantum reality and the role of the observer apply to the universe as a whole. One of the most fundamental properties of quantum theory, non-locality, may then apply equally well to the universe. Some of the problems facing big bang cosmology, like the horizon and flatness problems, may not then be preconditions on theoretical models but may instead be the manifestations of the quantum nature of the universe.

scholarly journals Probing the Cosmic Frontier of Galaxies

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (A29B) ◽  
pp. 808-811
Author(s):  
Pascal A. Oesch
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Mass Density ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Ir Camera ◽  
Blank Field ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
First Galaxies ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe

AbstractUnderstanding when and how the first galaxies formed and what sources reionized the universe are key goals of extragalactic astronomy. Thanks to deep surveys with the powerful WFC3/IR camera on the HST, the observational frontier of galaxy build-up now lies at only ~450 Myr after the Big Bang, at redshifts z ~10-12. In combination with deep data from Spitzer/IRAC we can now probe the evolution of the stellar mass density over 96% of cosmic history. However, detecting and characterizing galaxies at these early epochs is challenging even for HST and the sample sizes at the earliest redshifts are still very small. The Hubble Frontier Fields provide a prime new dataset to improve upon our current, sparse sampling of the UV luminosity function at z>8 from blank fields to answer some of the most pressing open questions. For instance, even the evolution of the cosmic star-formation rate density at z>8 is still debated. While our measurements based on blank field data indicate that galaxies with SFR>0.7 Msol/yr disappear quickly from the cosmic record between z~8 and z~10, other previous results, e.g., from the CLASH survey favor a more moderate decline. Here, we briefly review the recent progress in studying galaxy build-up out to z~10 from the combined blank field and existing Frontier Field datasets and discuss their implications for primordial galaxy formation and cosmic reionization.

scholarly journals Anisotropic quantum cosmology with minimally coupled scalar field

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (34) ◽  
pp. 1950283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saumya Ghosh ◽  
Sunandan Gangopadhyay ◽  
Prasanta K. Panigrahi
Keyword(s):  
Scalar Field ◽  
Wave Packet ◽  
Quantum Cosmology ◽  
Hamiltonian Formalism ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Type I ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Big Bang Singularity

In this paper, we perform the Wheeler–DeWitt quantization for Bianchi type I anisotropic cosmological model in the presence of a scalar field minimally coupled to the Einstein–Hilbert gravity theory. We also consider the cosmological (perfect) fluid to construct the matter sector of the model whose dynamics plays the role of time. After obtaining the Wheeler–DeWitt equation from the Hamiltonian formalism, we then define the self-adjointness relations properly. Doing that, we proceed to get a solution for the Wheeler–DeWitt equation and construct a well-behaved wave function for the universe. The wave packet is next constructed from a superposition of the wave functions with different energy eigenvalues together with a suitable weight factor which renders the norm of the wave packet finite. It is then concluded that the Big-Bang singularity can be removed in the context of quantum cosmology.

scholarly journals Of Cosmic Background Anisotropies

1996 ◽  
Vol 168 ◽  
pp. 31-44
Author(s):  
G.F. Smoot
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Microwave Background ◽  
The Standard Model ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Fundamental Physical ◽  
Large Scale Structure Formation

Observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Radiation have put the standard model of cosmology, the Big Bang, on firm footing and provide tests of various ideas of large scale structure formation. CMB observations now let us test the role of gravity and General Relativity in cosmology including the geometry, topology, and dynamics of the Universe. Foreground galactic emissions, dust thermal emission and emission from energetic electrons, provide a serious limit to observations. Nevertheless, observations may determine if the evolution of the Universe can be understood from fundamental physical principles.

scholarly journals Possible Constituents of Halos

1987 ◽  
Vol 117 ◽  
pp. 395-409
Author(s):  
Martin J. Rees
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Massive Stars ◽  
Critical Density ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Galactic Halos ◽  
Low Mass Stars ◽  
Groups Of Galaxies ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe

There still seem to be three serious contenders for the dark matter in galactic halos and groups of galaxies: (i) very low mass stars, (ii) black hole remnants of very massive stars or (iii) some species of particle (e.g. axions, photinos, etc.) surviving from the big bang. There are genuine prospects of detecting individual objects in all three of these categories, and thereby narrowing down the present range of options. If the Universe has the critical density (Ω = 1), rather than the lower value (Ω = 0.1–0.2) inferred from dynamical evidence, then the galaxies must be more clustered than the overall distribution even on scales 10–20 Mpc. “Biased” galaxy formation could account for this.

Cosmology

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Manton ◽  
Nicholas Mee
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cosmological Parameters ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Newtonian Gravity ◽  
Microwave Background ◽  
Cosmological Redshift ◽  
Frw Model ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe

This chapter is about the large-scale structure of the universe, how it is described in general relativity and recent advances in determining the cosmological parameters. The Hubble distance–redshift relationship is discussed. The assumptions of the FRW cosmologies are presented and the FRW solutions of Einstein equation are derived. The FRW model is interpreted in terms of Newtonian gravity. Cosmological redshift is explained. The evidence for dark matter and its possible origin are discussed. The evidence for the Big Bang is presented, including the cosmic microwave background and the latest measurements of the CMB by the Planck probe. The evidence for dark energy is discussed, along with its interpretation as an FRW cosmology with a non-zero cosmological constant. Computer models of galaxy formation are discussed. Outstanding cosmological puzzles are presented along with their possible solution by inflationary models.

Linear Growth of Cosmological Perturbations

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham Loeb ◽  
Steven R. Furlanetto
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Density Fluctuations ◽  
Microwave Background ◽  
Cosmological Recombination ◽  
Small Density ◽  
Evolution Of Structure ◽  
First Galaxies ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe

This chapter shows that, after cosmological recombination, the Universe had entered the “dark ages,” during which the relic cosmic microwave background (CMB) light from the Big Bang gradually faded away. During this “pregnancy” period (which lasted hundreds of millions of years), the seeds of small density fluctuations planted by inflation in the matter distribution grew until they eventually collapsed to make the first galaxies. In addition to the density evolution, the second key “initial condition” for galaxy formation is the temperature of the hydrogen and helium gas that had likewise collapsed into the first galaxies. Here, the chapter describes the first stages of these processes and introduces the methods conventionally used to describe the fluctuations. It follows the evolution of structure in the linear regime, when the perturbations are small.

scholarly journals Joint Discussion 7 The Universe at zz>6

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (14) ◽  
pp. 245-245
Author(s):  
Daniel Schaerer ◽  
Andrea Ferrara (eds)
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
First Stars ◽  
Dark Ages ◽  
Important Challenge ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe

The exploration of the earliest phase of star and galaxy formation after the Big Bang remains an important challenge of contemporary astrophysics and represents a key science driver for numerous future facilities. During this phase the first stars and galaxies appear and start to light up and ionize the then neutral Universe ending thereby the so called cosmic dark ages and leading progressively to the complete reionization we observe now at redshift z≃6 or earlier.

scholarly journals Symmetry Violations and Quark Flavour Physics

2020 ◽  
pp. 519-623
Author(s):  
Konrad Kleinknecht ◽  
Ulrich Uwer
Keyword(s):  
Space Shuttle ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Far Infrared ◽  
Infrared Region ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Expansion Of The Universe ◽  
Quark Flavour ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe

AbstractOne of the surprising facts in our present understanding of the development of the Universe is the complete absence of “primordial” antimatter from the Big Bang about 13.7 billion years ago. The detection of charged cosmic-ray particles by magnetic spectrometers borne by balloons, satellites, and the space shuttle has shown no evidence for such primordial (high-energy) antibaryons; nor has the search for gamma rays from antimatter–matter annihilation yielded any such observation. In the early phases of the expanding Universe, a hot (1032 K) and dense plasma of quarks, antiquarks, leptons, antileptons and photons coexisted in equilibrium. This plasma expanded and cooled down, and matter and antimatter could recombine and annihilate into photons. If all interactions were symmetric with respect to matter and antimatter, and if baryon and lepton numbers were conserved, then all particles would finally convert to photons, and the expansion of the Universe would shift the wavelength of these photons to the far infrared region.

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