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Introduction to Astrophysics

Yale,, Spring 2007 , Prof. Charles Bailyn

Updated On 02 Feb, 19

Overview

Planetary Orbits - Our Solar System and the Pluto Problem - Discovering Exoplanets: Hot Jupiters - Planetary Transits - Microlensing, Astrometry and Other Methods - Direct Imaging of Exoplanets - Introduction to Black Holes - Special and General Relativity - Tests of Relativity - Special and General Relativity - Stellar Mass Black Holes - Pulsars - Supermassive Black Holes - Hubbles Law and the Big Bang - Omega and the End of the Universe - Dark Matter - Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe and the Big Rip - Supernovae - Other Constraints: The Cosmic Microwave Background - The Multiverse and Theories of Everything

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Lecture 19: Omega and the End of the Universe

4.1 ( 11 )

Lecture Details

FrontiersControversies in Astrophysics (ASTR 160)

Class begins with a review of the issues previously addressed about the origin and fate of the universe. The role of gravity in the expansion of the universe is discussed and given as the reason why the rate of expansion cannot remain constant and will eventually slow down. The actual density of the universe is calculated using various methods. Finally, the unsolved problem of dark matter is addressed and two explanatory hypotheses are proposed. One is that the universe is comprised of WIMPs (Weakly Interactive Massive Particles) that fulfill two requirements they have mass and do not interact with light. The second hypothesis is that dark matter is made of MACHOs (Massive Astrophysical Compact Halo Objects), which scientists have attempted to identify through gravitational lenses.

0000 - Chapter 1. Review of Issues in Cosmology
0828 - Chapter 2. Determining Mass
2639 - Chapter 3. Dark Matter WIMPs?
3730 - Chapter 4. Dark Matter MACHOs?

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website httpopen.yale.educourses

This course was recorded in Spring 2007.