"The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature."
A scientific theory that explains the early development of the Universe, starting from a hot, dense, and infinitely small point.
Cosmic Inflation: A brief period of exponential expansion of the universe right after the Big Bang, proposed to explain several observations of the universe.
Dark Matter: A form of matter believed to exist throughout the universe, which does not interact with light and cannot be directly observed.
Dark Energy: A form of energy that is believed to exist throughout the universe and to be causing the acceleration of the expansion of the universe.
The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation: A low-energy radiation that fills the entire universe, which is predicted to be a remnant from the Big Bang.
The Large Hadron Collider: A particle accelerator that can recreate the conditions of the early universe, used to study the fundamental particles and forces.
Neutrinos: Tiny, elusive particles that are produced in nuclear reactions and abundant in the universe, used to study the conditions of the early universe.
The Higgs Boson: A particle that gives other particles mass, discovered in the Large Hadron Collider.
The Hubble Constant: A measure of the rate of expansion of the universe, used to study the age, size, and future of the universe.
The Standard Model of Particle Physics: A theory that describes the fundamental particles and forces, essential for studying the early universe.
Gravitational Waves: Ripples in the fabric of space-time, predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity, and observed for the first time in 2015.
Theories of Everything: A proposed unified theory that combines quantum mechanics and general relativity to explain the fundamental nature of the universe.
Multiverse: The idea that there may be other universes beyond our own, proposed to explain several issues in physics and cosmology.
Cosmological Constant: A proposed constant used to describe the accelerating expansion of the universe.
Baryogenesis: The process of generating the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the universe, a crucial step for the formation of galaxies.
Inflationary Cosmology: A model of the early universe that proposes a period of rapid expansion to explain several puzzling features observed today. Overall, the study of the Big Bang Theory and cosmology includes theories, methods, and observations that aim to explain the origin, evolution, and future of the universe.
Standard Big Bang Theory: The most widely accepted theory that explains the origin and evolution of the universe from a single point of high density and temperature.
Eternal Inflation: An extension of the Big Bang Theory that suggests there are multiple universes expanding at different rates, with our universe being just one bubble in a larger multiverse.
Steady State Theory: A now-discredited theory that proposed the universe was always expanding and creating new matter, so it appeared constant and unchanging over time.
Cyclic Model: A theory that suggests the universe undergoes repeated cycles of expansion and contraction, with new universes being created in each cycle.
Quasi-Steady State Theory: A modified version of the Steady State Theory that takes into account the evolution of galaxies and allows for occasional bursts of new matter creation.
Plasma Cosmology: A non-standard theory that posits the universe is mostly composed of plasma, rather than traditional matter and energy.
Conformal Cyclic Cosmology: A theory that suggests the universe is infinitely cyclical, with each cycle being described as an infinite series of expanding and contracting universes.
Ekpyrotic Theory: A hypothesis that suggests the universe is the result of a collision between two extra-dimensional objects.
String Theory Cosmology: A theoretical framework that combines string theory and cosmology to suggest that our universe is just one in a multiverse of different universes.
Emergent Universe: A theory that suggests the universe emerged from a vast number of interacting particles, rather than a single point, which could explain the universe's apparent homogeneity.
Brane Cosmology: A theory that suggests our universe is a four-dimensional "brane" within a higher-dimensional "bulk" space, which would account for the universe's apparent "fine-tuning.".
Modified Gravity Theories: Alternative to Einstein's General Relativity, aiming to explain the accelerated expansion of the universe without the existence of dark energy or dark matter.
Pre-Big Bang Cosmology: Different models that attempt to describe the very early universe and cosmic inflation, preceding entropy increase and the Big Bang.
Loop Quantum Gravity Cosmology: A non-perturbative approach to quantum gravity that aims to incorporate general relativity into the framework of quantum physics.
Nonlocal Cosmology: A theory that suggests the universe is nonlocal and non-causal, meaning that particles can communicate instantaneously and remotely, allowing for faster-than-light travel and information transfer.
"These models offer a comprehensive explanation for a broad range of observed phenomena, including the abundance of light elements, the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, and large-scale structure."
"The overall uniformity of the Universe, known as the flatness problem, is explained through cosmic inflation: a sudden and very rapid expansion of space during the earliest moments."
"However, physics currently lacks a widely accepted theory of quantum gravity that can successfully model the earliest conditions of the Big Bang."
"The Hubble–Lemaître law is the observation that the farther away a galaxy is, the faster it is moving away from Earth."
"Extrapolating this cosmic expansion backwards in time using the known laws of physics, the models describe an increasingly concentrated cosmos preceded by a singularity in which space and time lose meaning."
"In 1964 the CMB was discovered, which convinced many cosmologists that the competing steady-state model of cosmic evolution was falsified, since the Big Bang models predict a uniform background radiation caused by high temperatures and densities in the distant past."
"Detailed measurements of the expansion rate of the universe place the Big Bang singularity at an estimated 13.787±0.020 billion years ago, which is considered the age of the universe."
"The unequal abundances of matter and antimatter that allowed this to occur is an unexplained effect known as baryon asymmetry."
"These primordial elements—mostly hydrogen, with some helium and lithium—later coalesced through gravity, forming early stars and galaxies."
"Astronomers observe the gravitational effects of an unknown dark matter surrounding galaxies."
"Most of the gravitational potential in the universe seems to be in this form, and the Big Bang models and various observations indicate that this excess gravitational potential is not created by baryonic matter, such as normal atoms."
"Measurements of the redshifts of supernovae indicate that the expansion of the universe is accelerating."
"An observation attributed to an unexplained phenomenon known as dark energy."
"Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the earliest known periods through its subsequent large-scale form."
"The overall uniformity of the Universe, known as the flatness problem, is explained through cosmic inflation: a sudden and very rapid expansion of space during the earliest moments."
"The explanatory power of the Big Bang models, including predicting a uniform background radiation caused by high temperatures and densities in the distant past, convinced many cosmologists that the competing steady-state model of cosmic evolution was falsified."
"Detailed measurements of the expansion rate of the universe place the Big Bang singularity at an estimated 13.787±0.020 billion years ago."
"Observations of dark matter surrounding galaxies indicate that this excess gravitational potential is not created by baryonic matter, such as normal atoms."
"The accelerating expansion of the universe is attributed to an unexplained phenomenon known as dark energy."