PCS181 Notes

How to Decide Among the Futures:

Is there sufficient matter to exert a strong gravitational force?
> 5 protons per m3 of space
o Gravity will dominate and re-contract the Universe
o A closed or oscillating Universe
Density Measurement of Universe
o The sum of all observed, luminous matter -> not enough
matter to re-collapse the universe
o What about non-luminous matter?
Clouds of dark gas
Planets
Dead Stars
Black Holes
Neutrinos
Dark Matter etc
o Ultimate fate of the Universe is still undetermined
Dark Matter
Galaxy Rotation Curve
o Plots star velocities vs/ their distance from the center of
the galaxy
o Vera Rubin -> star velocities measured at the edge of a
galaxy violate Newtonian and Keplerian laws
Invisible material
o Permeates the galaxy
o Exerts gravitational influence on the stars
Nature and composition of dark matter are unknown
o Could it be non-luminous normal matter?
o Unknown types of particles?
o Gravitational effects from galaxies in a parallel Universe?
Universe is Composed of:
o 4% Baryonic Matter = normal matter
o 23% Dark Matter
o 73% Dark Energy (presently causing an acceleration of our
universe = another mystery!)
Dark Energy
o Totally empty space, the vacuum, contains energy
This energy is variously called dark energy
Aka quintessence, the vacuum energy, the
cosmological constant
o Dark Energy drives the recently-observed acceleration of
the universe
o Dark energy dark matter