Ad The Pearson General Knowledge Manual ‘The most porreru physics expenrment aver butt the large ‘Harden Collider (LHC) wil re-create the conditions lust aftr the Big Bang in an attempt to answer fundamental ‘questions of scence and universe tse. LHC can opecate at high energy laveis:and generate min--biack holes. ‘The suggestions that LHC coud generate black holes has stocked fears that one of these micro-black holes ‘could swel in size, ewalloing up the Earth. However, the physieste stressed that any such phenomena would be shrt-wed, and thus would pose no threat to our planet. In March 2008, plants requested an injunction in a US ‘court stopping LHG ftom sifiching on: However an 10 September 2008, LHC housed inside a 27-km tunnel in ‘Com Switzernd was activated and preliminary round ot lexperments cared cut successful. ‘Dark matier Nao known as missing mats, this i matter that cannat be seen direct, because ft emits lite or no rradation. fs presance can be inferred from the efectt has ‘on other bodes, its gravitational foros explains the rotation Speeds of galaxies end the fact that they tend to group together to clustars it has bean estates that as much as. ‘90% of he mass of he ursverse is dark matter, the for of particle lehavor fromthe Big Bang. I The Steady State Theory An alternative view to ‘the Big Bang Theory, this theory says that Universe ‘never originated at any one instant, nor will it ever die, According to this theory, as the Universe expands new matter is created to fill the space left. Therefore, the appearance of the Universe remains constant with time. eae renee ae eee ee ee The Big Bang Theory According to this theory, the Universe had its origin in a giant explosion about 18,000 million years ago. The matter flung out from the explosion condensed into lumps called galaxies, which are still rushing outwards. As the Universe ‘grows old, the matter én it thins gut, The expansion continues indefinitely. The Big Bang theory recieved. its strongest confirmation when ‘cosmic background radiation’ (the glow left over from the explosion itself) vwas discovered in 1964 by Amo Penias and Robert Wilson, who won the Nobel Prize for this discovery. In 2003, NASA’s Wilkinson Microwave Antisotropy Probe macle measurements of the temperature of this “cosmic microwave background” radiation to within millionth of a degree. From these measurements: scientists were able to deduce that our universe is 13.7 billion years old and that first generation stars began to. forma mere 200 million years afterthe Big Bang. Sir fred Hoyle ~ Big Bang Astronomer Feed Hoye, an English astronomer, is credited with coining the term “Big fay? t Barbe a ate theory on erent ol cours Interexingy, despte populazng the theory by ol a ‘ame, roestor St Fred Hoyle chalenged tn bee! that the cosmos Was caused by ahuge explosion. He actualy ‘hese the ody sto hoor = tal he coos ad Fo Cagenng but na gos wae amd an othe roves _apan, Sir Fred deed in 2001 at the age at86, i Inflation Theory Immediately following the Big Bang, the universe likely began a period of ‘exaggerated outward expansion, with matter flying ‘outward faster than the current speed of light, This is the inflation theory, widely accepted in the astrophysics ‘community. The Oscillating Universe Theory This theory. ‘a variation of the Big Bang Theory, suggests that expansion of the Universe will eventually slow down and stop, followed by contraction of the galaxies into ‘another Big Bang. The Universe, therefore, continues in endless cycles of expansion and contraction; the laws of nature may differin each cycle. | ‘Heart of The Milky Way The presence of the Milky Way's) ‘huge black hole, sited about 26,000 light years from Earth, hoa lang been euspectod. Tho recant observations of a | {ist moving star which orbas Cosa to tha hol, roe by avonorers as Sagtovius fis eeston inthe shyla the southern constelaten Saptari fas confrmesis pretence. CCaicuations based on the behavcur ofthe star suggest the ‘ck ola as amass of oughy 2.6 mons tres that of the ‘un, Black holes remain the most exotic phenomena nthe Unio 1.3. AGalaxy and the Local Group Galaxies are dotted like islands throughout the Universe. A “gala dy the force of gra aa huge congregation of stars which are held together ty. They are so big that sometimes they are called Island Universes. Most of the galaxies appear to be scattered in the space in a random manner, but there are many ‘galaxies which remain clustered into groups, The smallest are poor clusters of only a few dozens galaxies, while the largest Tich clusters may contain thousands of galaxies. Important Facts on Galaxies There ara ary more galaxies around our galaxy ‘The demeter of the Niky Wayisabout 10° ight oars. Tha colar system revokes around! the contra of the Miky lay ata speed of 285 hr ae cempsetes ore rxolstonin 22d x 10 ight ars: ‘The galary closest to the Miky Way is Andromeda Nebule, wich aDOUut6.B x 10" tht years ay rom our gate, Galaxy Features Black Holes: The name given to immeasurably dense collapsed stars with such a strong gra tional pull that nothing, not even light, ean eseape from them. The size of black holes is, dependent upon the mass of the collapsed star, Because they are invisible no black hole has been detected directly. Their existence can only be inferred fom the effect they have on. other objects Quasars: These are cores of very active distant galaxi possibly with black holes at their centres. They are point sources