PossìbleFateoftheUnìverse.pptVIP

Possible Fate of the Universe Chapter 16, Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe If we know how much matter we have in the universe, then we can predict how the universe is going to evolve in the future… In our effort to measure the total mass of the universe and trying to determine how the universe is going to evolve, we have come to some surprising conclusions, that is, most of the mass of the universe are in the form of dark matter, and that there is an unknown force pushing the expansion of the universe in an ever-increasing rate. This unknown force is what astronomers refer to as the dark energy of the universe. In this chapter, we will examine the evidences supporting these conclusions, and look into… What is dark matter and dark energy? The fate of the universe Dark Matter and Dark Energy Definitions… Dark Matter Dark matter is the name given to mass that we infer to exist through its gravitational effects but that emits no detectable radiation. Dark Energy Dark energy is the name given to an unseen influence that may be causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate with time. . How do we measure the mass of Milky Way, or other galaxies? The Rotation Curve of the Milky Way Galaxy What Does the Flat Rotation Curve of the Milky Way Tell Us? Let’s first look at the rotation curves of a rigid body and a system with concentrated mass… What Does the Flat Rotation Curve of the Milky Way Tell Us? The flat rotation curve of the Milky Way Galaxy implies that… The mass of the Milky Way is not concentrated at the center of the galaxy.. The mass enclosed in a sphere increases as we increase the radius of the sphere… The mass in a sphere inside the Sun’s orbit contains about 100 billion times the mass of the Sun. The mass in a sphere twice the size of the Sun’s orbit contains twice as much mass (200 billion Msun). Most of our galaxy’s mass lies well beyond our Sun, tens of thousands of light-years from the galactic center most of th