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Questions and Answers
During which era did gravity become a distinct force?
What event is associated with the universe expanding by $10^{26}$ times?
What significant particle was formed during the Electroweak Era that enables mass?
What marks the beginning of the formation of elementary particles?
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Which of the following forces was not a separate force during the Grand Unified Era?
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In which era did quarks combine to form hadrons like protons and neutrons?
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What hypothesis explains the relative uniformity of the Cosmic Microwave Background?
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During which time frame did the universe exist as a singularity?
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What was the approximate temperature range during the inflation period?
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How did a slight bias towards particles affect matter formation during the Quark Era?
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What was the primary consequence of annihilation with antiparticles during the nucleogenesis phase?
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What ratio of protons to neutrons (p:n) was formed as the universe cooled after nucleogenesis?
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What was one key outcome of the recombination phase?
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What is the significance of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR)?
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What characterizes the Dark Ages in the context of the universe's history?
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What happens during the Reionization phase?
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What is significant about supergiant stars in relation to nuclear fusion?
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What process occurs when iron is produced in a star's core?
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What determines the fate of a star after it runs out of fuel?
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What occurs during the process known as onion burning in massive stars?
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What is the primary component of the universe formed during nucleogenesis?
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Which elements formed in the universe shortly after nucleogenesis?
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What major event occurred approximately 380,000 years after the Big Bang?
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What term refers to the very low energy radiation left over from the formation of the first atoms?
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Study Notes
The Big Bang Theory Timeline
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Planck Era (0 to 10^-43 s): Universe existed as a singularity with infinite density, current physics cannot describe this period. Gravity became a distinct force at the end of this era.
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Grand Unified Era (10^-43 to 10^-36 s): First particles began forming but were annihilated by antiparticles. Strong nuclear, weak nuclear, and electromagnetic forces were not separate yet.
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Inflation (10^-36 to 10^-32 s): Exponential expansion resulted in the universe growing 10^26 times in size. This smooths out the cosmic microwave background (CMB) irregularities, supporting the inflation theory.
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Electroweak Era (10^-32 to 10^-12 s): Separation of strong nuclear force from electroweak force; Higgs Boson formation allowed particles to gain mass.
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Quark Era (10^-12 to 10^-6 s): Elementary particles like quarks and electrons appeared in large numbers. A slight excess of particles led to matter not fully annihilated.
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Hadron Era (10^-6 s to 3 mins): With decreasing temperature, quarks formed hadrons (protons and neutrons). Most particles were still annihilated by antiparticles, but electrons became dominant.
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Nucleogenesis (3 to 20 mins): Fusion phase became critical as annihilation diminished; hydrogen and helium nuclei formed. A formation ratio of 7:1 of protons to neutrons was established, leading to a universe primarily composed of hydrogen and helium.
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Recombination (380,000 years): Formation of atoms allowed photons to travel freely. Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) was produced, with its redshift indicating earlier conditions of the universe.
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The Dark Ages (380,000 to 200 million years): Universe experienced a phase with minimal light, predominantly consisting of faint radio emissions from hydrogen.
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Reionization (800 million years): Birth of first stars and galaxies initiated nuclear fusion, creating new elements. Enormous pressures and temperatures allowed fusion beyond helium.
Stellar Evolution and Remnants
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Star Formation: Supergiant stars formed from O and B class stars, rapidly transitioning to fuse helium into carbon and other elements.
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Supergiant Characteristics: They have large masses (8-10M☉) and spend only 30 million years in the main sequence phase before evolving.
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Onion Burning: In supergiants, different layers undergo fusion processes where the core fuses carbon and outer layers fuse helium and hydrogen.
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Iron Core Formation: Once a star's core forms iron, fusion ceases as iron cannot fuse within a star, marking the end of the fusion pathway.
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Star Death: The destiny of a star post-fuel depletion depends on the stellar core mass; collapse occurs when hydrostatic equilibrium is lost.
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Planetary Nebula & White Dwarf Formation: The remnants of a star after its lifecycle result in either a planetary nebula or a white dwarf, depending on the mass.
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Description
Explore the fascinating phases of the Big Bang Theory, from the Planck Era to the Hadron Era. This timeline offers insights into the events that shaped our universe in its earliest moments, including the formation of fundamental forces and particles. Test your knowledge on this critical aspect of cosmology.
