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The (In)finite Universe

Suketu Bhavsar Director, Kellogg Honors College Professor of Physics Cal State Polytechnic, Pomona MSU Oct. 1, 2007. The (In)finite Universe. What is “the universe?” Where did it come from? What is its fate? What was there before it? What lies beyond it?. Questions:. Spectra:.

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The (In)finite Universe

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  1. Suketu Bhavsar Director, Kellogg Honors College Professor of Physics Cal State Polytechnic, Pomona MSU Oct. 1, 2007 The (In)finite Universe

  2. What is “the universe?” Where did it come from? What is its fate? What was there before it? What lies beyond it? Questions:

  3. Spectra:

  4. red shifted lines = moving awayblue shifted lines = moving towards

  5. red shift and blue shift

  6. Hubble’s law *The speed at which a galaxy recedes is proportional to the its distance.

  7. The Universe is Expanding!

  8. Why is everything moving away fromus? (Are we special …. or do we just have bad breath?) More questions:

  9. the raisin at the “center”

  10. Will the universe expand for ever? What is the universe expanding into? Even More questions:

  11. Expansion of the universe …two possible fates Density of matter decides the fate of the universe A critical density universe just “turns around”

  12. Does size matter? ..n…..f…..i…..n…..i…..t.. or finite

  13. N o b o u n d a r y boundary

  14. What lies beyond a finite universe?

  15. The surface of a sphere is finite but has no boundary!

  16. Negative Two generic varieties of curved surfaces • Positive

  17. Can something infinite be bound?

  18. A negatively curved surface

  19. Can something infinite at both ends be bound?

  20. further insights …..

  21. the ant’s universe …….

  22. Density of matter determines curvature of space Space retains its geometry as it expands

  23. How does this apply to the universe we live in? We live in a 3-D universe. What gets curved?

  24. Einstein’s theory of General Relativity A theory of space and time Relates gravity to the curvature of space and time, more accurately spacetime The universe arises from the creation of space at the beginning of time

  25. Can we know the geometry of our universe?

  26. The Geometry of the Universe

  27. The Geometry of the Universe The geometry of the Universe is flat. This means the geometry you learned in high school applies over the largest distances in the universe.

  28. How can we explain such incredible fine tuning?

  29. Inflation A theory that the universe expanded very rapidly at very early times Inflation predicts a flat universe

  30. Structure in the Universe

  31. Observational results from CMB –kinds of matter in the universe

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