ASTR 160 - Frontiers and Controversies in Astrophysics
Lecture 23 - Other Constraints: The Cosmic Microwave Background. Reasons for the expansion of the universe are addressed at the start of this lecture, focusing especially on the acceleration of dark energy. Supernovae were the first evidence for the existence of dark energy. Two other proofs are presented. The first is the Cosmic Microwave Background, which is a form of electromagnetic radiation that is perfectly smooth and equal in all directions. It firmly supports the Big Bang theory. Projects attempting to measure it, such as COBE and WMAP, are discussed. Secondly, Large-Scale Clustering is introduced: by measuring the degree of clustering, astronomers hope to advance their understanding of dark energy and dark matter. Computer simulations of the evolution of the universe are shown. (from oyc.yale.edu)
| Lecture 23 - Other Constraints: The Cosmic Microwave Background |
| Time | Lecture Chapters |
| [00:00:00] | 1. Implications of Research on Supernovae |
| [00:05:28] | 2. The Cosmic Microwave Background |
| [00:11:27] | 3. COBE and WMAP: Measuring CMB |
| [00:24:40] | 4. Growth of Universe Structure: Large-Scale Clustering |
| [00:39:30] | 5. The Degree of Clustering and the Potential Fates of the Universe |
| References |
| ASTR 160: Lecture 23 - Other Constraints: The Cosmic Microwave Background Instructor: Professor Charles Bailyn. Class Notes Lecture 23 [pdf]. Problem Set 9 and Solutions [pdf]. Transcript [html]. Audio [mp3]. Download Video [mov]. |
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