Summary of the Big Bang Theory
In the course of history, man has always wondered how the universe was formed, and the answers have been very different, from the religious point of view, only a god could have done it, but from the scientific point of view, the The answers that have been attempted have been various.
Scientists have long sought to find the correct explanation for all existing phenomena. From this need to explain everything that exists, the big Bang Theory. But what is the big bang theory? According to a summary Of The Big Bang Theory, This theory not only explains the existence of the universe, but also of galaxies, planets, and stars. In this article, we'll try to explain its claims and their scientific basis. Additionally, if you'd like to delve deeper, you can consult related articles in our section. cosmology.
Explosion (Big Bang) that created the universe
Because of its conclusions and implications, it has also been known as the Big Bang theory. We will try to make a summary of the big bang theory According to this theory, the universe as we know it was born billions of years ago thanks to a big bang. With that explosion, all the matter that exists and that was gathered in one place managed to expand into space.
So from the very moment of the explosion, matter began to disintegrate and continues to do so today. The great theoretical scientists insist that the universe is in a continuous expansion. That's why the expanding universe theory also includes it.
All the matter that was stored in one place not only began to disintegrate, but also began to agglutinate forming more complicated organizations. We are referring to the atoms and molecules that, step by step, were forming even living organisms.
Scientists have managed to date the start of the Big Bang. Apparently its origin was approximately 13.810 million years ago. In this phase in which the universe was just being born, it has been called the primeval universe. In it, it is presumed that the particles possessed a large amount of energy.
With the explosion the original electrons, neutrons and protons were formed. The neutrons and protons were arranged in the nuclei of the atoms. Because of their negative electrical charge, the electrons organized themselves around the center and in this way everything that is visible was born.
Formation of stars and galaxies
The Solar System that we know is located within the galaxy that bears the name of the Milky Way. All the stars that we know to exist today began to form long after the Big Bang. It is presumed that the first stars began to form 13.250 billion years ago, and began to appear about 550 million years after the explosion.
But how did the solar system form?, that is, the planets and the structure of the sun. As we know them, they formed 4.600 billion years ago, but the oldest galaxies originated 13.200 billion years ago. You can also read more about the big crunch theory, which suggests a different perspective on the fate of the universe.
Expanding universe
In order to prove that the Big Bang theory is correct, we must gather evidence that the universe is still expanding. Below is a summary of the big bang theory and of the evidence that we have about it:
- Olbers Paradox: Explaining the darkness of the night sky.
- Hubble's Law: This law can be verified by observing that galaxies are moving away from each other.
- Homogeneity of the distribution of matter.
- Tolman Effect: Referred to the oscillation of surface brightness.
- Distant supernovae: It can be seen that a time dilation is verified in their light curves.
Characteristics of the Big Bang Theory
After the moment the explosion occurred, each particle was disintegrating and separating from one another. What was verified at that time is something similar to what happens when we blow up a balloon. As more air is introduced, the air particles move further and further away until they reach the walls.
Theoretical physicists have been able to recreate the date of the birth of the universe starting from 1/100 of a second after the Big Bang. All the matter that sprouted into space was composed of elementary particles that are known today. These include electrons, positrons, mesons, baryons, neutrinos, and photons.
Recent calculations suggest that hydrogen and helium were primary products of the explosion. The heaviest elements were grouped later inside the stars. As the universe breaks apart, the residual radiation from the Big Bang continues to fade until it reaches a temperature of 3 K (-270°C).
Traces of a large cosmic microwave background radiation were detected by radio astronomers in 1965. This is what demonstrates the expansion of the universe. But one of the biggest questions scientists face remains: whether the universe will continue to expand indefinitely or whether it will contract again. The answer to this question may be found in something known as dark matter.
Discoverers and other theories
The statement that the universe is still expanding was made in 1922 by Alexander Friedmann. Who based his claims on Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity (1915). Then, in the year 1927, the Belgian priest Georges Lemaître, based on his studies on the work of researchers Einstein and De Sitter, reached the same conclusion as Friedmann.
But these scientists have been unable to conclude anything other than that the universe continues to expand. There are other theories about the creation of the universe that have not been as widely accepted as the Big Bang. Despite this, there are scientists on the planet who consider them to be true and correct, so we'll list them in turn:
- Big Crunch theory: The basis of this theory is that the expansion of the universe is going to slowly stop, until the moment it starts to retract. What you want to explain is that the universe at some point is going to start contracting. This contraction would end with a great implosion that has received the name of Big Crunch. But there is not much evidence to support this theory.
- oscillating universe: According to this theory, our universe is in a constant oscillation between the Big Bang and the Big Crunch.
- Steady state and continuous creation: This theory is based on the fact that the universe is expanding and that its density remains constant because there is matter in continuous creation.
- Inflation theory: It is based on the same elements as the Big Bang but indicates that there was an initial process. This process was called inflation and the expansion of the universe is faster.
- Finally, there are people who believe that the universe was created by God or some divine entity.
