Evidence for the Big Bang

2

Evidence for Big Bang theory

Big Bang theory is supported by a number of key scientific
discoveries, including:

•the expansion of the Universe,

•the abundance of hydrogen and helium in the Universe, and

•cosmic microwave background radiation.

‘An artist's concept of the first stars forming after the Big Bang’ by NASA,

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/22oct_missinggrbs/

Evidence for
the Big Bang

4

Evidence for Big Bang theory

Big Bang theory is supported by a number of key scientific
discoveries, including:

•the expansion of the Universe,

•the abundance of hydrogen and helium in the Universe, and

•cosmic microwave background radiation.

‘An artist's concept of the first stars forming after the Big Bang’ by NASA,

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/22oct_missinggrbs/

Discovery 1

The expansion of the Universe

5

‘Andromeda galaxy’, NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA

www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/multimedia/pia12832-c.html

In 1912, Vesto Slipher observed
that spectral lines in light from
galaxies were shifted from their
normal positions.

He explained these shifts by
suggesting that galaxies were
moving towards or away from us.

6

The expansion of the Universe

Credit: Lowell Observatory

http://www.lowell.edu/Research/library/paper/vm_slipher_pict.html

The Doppler effect

•
Spectral shifts can be explained using the Doppler effect.

•
Light from an object moving away from us appears to have a
longer wavelength (it is shifted toward the red end of the
spectrum).

•
Light from an object moving towards us appears to have a
shorter wavelength (it is shifted towards the blue end of the
spectrum).

7

Velocities of galaxies

•
Slipher used measurements of spectral shifts to calculate
velocities of galaxies.

•
He discovered that a few galaxies were approaching Earth,
but most were moving away.

•
This information was later interpreted as evidence for the
expansion of the Universe.

•
We now know that some objects within our local group of
galaxies are blueshifted (approaching us), but most are
redshifted (moving away). This is due to the Doppler effect.

8

Cosmological redshift

• However, beyond our local group, all galaxies are

redshifted and their velocities are higher than the
Doppler effect can explain.

• These high velocities are due to cosmological redshift,

which is caused by the expansion of the Universe itself.

9

Starting in 1924, Edwin Hubble
devised a series of indicators to
measure distances to galaxies.

1
0

Edwin Hubble

Hubble observed and
recorded spectra of faint
galaxies.

He compared them with
spectra of laboratory
standards and calculated their
velocities.

1
1

The spectra of galaxies

Illustration from J Silk, The Big Bang, 2nd Ed., http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect20/A9.html

He plotted their distance against velocity and developed
Hubble's Law, which states:

The rate at which astronomical objects move apart
from each other is proportional to their distance
from each other.

This is expressed as v = HσD, where Hσ is the Hubble
constant, D is the distance to a galaxy and v is its
velocity.

Hubble's law

1
2

Hubble's plot of galaxy distance vs velocity

1
3

Conclusions from Hubble's law

Either:

Earth is at the centre of the Universe, or

the Universe is expanding.

•
Which explanation is most likely?

1
4

The Hubble ultra deep field image shows galaxies from an ancient era when
the Universe was younger, denser and warmer.

Hubble ultra deep field, by NASA and ESA

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2004/07/image/a/warn/

Discovery 1

The expansion of the Universe

1
5
1
5

‘Andromeda galaxy’, NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA

www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/multimedia/pia12832-c.html

In 1912, Vesto Slipher observed
that spectral lines in light from
galaxies were shifted from their
normal positions.

He explained these shifts by
suggesting that galaxies were
moving towards or away from us.

1
6

The expansion of the Universe

Credit: Lowell Observatory

http://www.lowell.edu/Research/library/paper/vm_slipher_pict.html

The Doppler effect

•
Spectral shifts can be explained using the Doppler effect.

•
Light from an object moving away from us appears to have a
longer wavelength (it is shifted toward the red end of the
spectrum).

•
Light from an object moving towards us appears to have a
shorter wavelength (it is shifted towards the blue end of the
spectrum).

1
7

Velocities of galaxies

•
Slipher used measurements of spectral shifts to calculate
velocities of galaxies.

•
He discovered that a few galaxies were approaching Earth,
but most were moving away.

•
This information was later interpreted as evidence for the
expansion of the Universe.

•
We now know that some objects within our local group of
galaxies are blueshifted (approaching us), but most are
redshifted (moving away). This is due to the Doppler effect.

1
8

Cosmological redshift

• However, beyond our local group, all galaxies are

redshifted and their velocities are higher than the
Doppler effect can explain.

• These high velocities are due to cosmological redshift,

which is caused by the expansion of the Universe itself.

1
9
1
9

Starting in 1924, Edwin Hubble
devised a series of indicators to
measure distances to galaxies.

2
0

Edwin Hubble

Hubble observed and
recorded spectra of faint
galaxies.

He compared them with
spectra of laboratory
standards and calculated their
velocities.

2
1

The spectra of galaxies

Illustration from J Silk, The Big Bang, 2nd Ed., http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect20/A9.html

He plotted their distance against velocity and developed
Hubble's Law, which states:

The rate at which astronomical objects move apart
from each other is proportional to their distance
from each other.

This is expressed as v = HσD, where Hσ is the Hubble
constant, D is the distance to a galaxy and v is its
velocity.

Hubble's law

2
2

Hubble's plot of galaxy distance vs velocity

2
3

Conclusions from Hubble's law

Either:

Earth is at the centre of the Universe, or

the Universe is expanding.

•
Which explanation is most likely?

2
4

The Hubble ultra deep field image shows galaxies from an ancient era when
the Universe was younger, denser and warmer.

Hubble ultra deep field, by NASA and ESA

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2004/07/image/a/warn/

Discovery 2

The abundance of hydrogen and

helium in the Universe

2
5
2
5

Nucleosynthesis

•
Big Bang theory explains that protons and neutrons fused
together to form deuterium and helium in the first few minutes
of the Universe.

•
The process where protons and neutrons combine to produce
atomic nuclei is called nucleosynthesis.

2
6

As the Universe cooled, neutrons:

•decayed into protons and

electrons, or

•combined with protons to form

deuterium.

Soon after, deuterium nuclei
combined to form helium and
small amounts of lithium.

2
7

Neutrons

Abundance of hydrogen and helium

•
The predicted abundance of hydrogen and helium depends on
the density of the early Universe.

•
Observations indicate that about 24% of the Universe is
helium, produced shortly after the Big Bang.

•
The predicted amounts of deuterium, helium and lithium agree
closely with observed amounts.

•
This is a major success for the Big Bang Theory.

2
8

Discovery 3

Cosmic microwave background

radiation

2
9
2
9

Cosmic microwave background radiation

•
The Universe became transparent to radiation about 370 000
years after the Big Bang.

•
Photons from this time still fill the Universe, but their
wavelength has stretched as the Universe has expanded.

•
In 1965, radioastronomers Penzias and Wilson discovered a
1.9 mm microwave background radiation that evenly fills the
observable Universe.

•
Properties of this radiation match predictions from Big Bang
theory.

3
0

The cosmological principle

•
Cosmic microwave background radiation is a good illustration
of the cosmological principle.

•
It tells us that matter in the Universe is homogeneous (uniform
density) and isotropic (the same in all directions).

•
It means that the Universe has no centre or edges - it is the
same throughout.

3
1

Wilkinson microwave anisotropy probe

•
However, small variations in the cosmic microwave
background radiation have been discovered.

•
They were measured by the Wilkinson microwave anisotropy
probe (WMAP) spacecraft, which was launched in June 2001.

3
2

WMAP results

• WMAP showed that CMBR is almost uniform

(isotropic) in all directions. But at high resolution, there
are small temperature variations (only a few
thousandths of a Kelvin).

• CMBR shows a distribution similar to that expected if a

red-hot gas was blown up to the size of the Universe.

• This evidence supports Big Bang theory.

3
3

5 year WMAP image

Red spots on the map are ‘warmer’
and blue spots are ‘cooler’.

The search for further evidence

Three major scientific projects are currently
being planned or are in the early stages of the
search for further evidence of the Big Bang.

3
4
3
4

1. The Square Kilometre Array

•
The SKA is a radio telescope with collecting area of one
square kilometre.

•
Its high resolution will allow astronomers to see further
than any previous radio telescope.

•
It will be used to research questions in physics, cosmology
and astrobiology.

•
The Murchison region of Western Australia is one of two
possible locations for the SKA.

3
5
3
5

2. Gravitation wave observatories

•
Gravitational waves are predicted by Einstein's general theory
of relativity, but none have yet been detected.

•
The Big Bang is believed to have created gravitational waves
that still fill the Universe.

•
Gravitational wave detectors are interferometers with arms
several kilometres long.

•
Gravitational wave observatories have been built in the USA
(LIGO), Japan (TAMA) and Europe (VIRGO). Australia plans
to build a full-scale detector (AIGO) at Gingin WA.

3
6

3. The Large Hadron Collider

•
The Large Hadron Collider is a gigantic particle accelerator,
located near Geneva in Switzerland.

•
It collides beams of particles together at almost the speed of
light to research conditions similar to those that existed in the
Big Bang.

•
The results will provide information about the fundamental
particles of matter and forces in nature.

3
7
3
7

Alternatives to Big Bang theory

•
The Big Bang theory is considered to be our most successful
theory of cosmology because it explains most experimental
observations.

•
Refinements to the theory are continually being made as
observations are improved.

•
Mathematical theories, including string theory and
supersymmetry, may one day offer a deeper understanding of
the origin of the Universe, but today’s evidence for the Big
Bang is very strong.

3
8

© 2011 The University of Western Australia

ast0705, v1.0

for conditions of use see spice.wa.edu.au/usage