Cosmic Times Teachers' Guide Table of Contents

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Cosmic Times Teachers' Guide Table of Contents Cosmic Times Teachers’ Guide Table of Contents Cosmic Times Teachers’ Guide ....................................................................................... 1 1919 Cosmic Times ........................................................................................................... 3 Summary of the 1919 Articles...................................................................................................4 Sun’s Gravity Bends Starlight .................................................................................................4 Sidebar: Why a Total Eclipse?.................................................................................................4 Mount Wilson Astronomer Estimates Milky Way Ten Times Bigger Than Thought ............4 Expanding or Contracting? ......................................................................................................4 In Their Own Words................................................................................................................4 Notes on the 1919 Articles .........................................................................................................5 Sun's Gravity Bends Starlight..................................................................................................5 Sidebar: Why a Total Eclipse?.................................................................................................7 Mount Wilson Astronomer Estimates Milky Way Ten Times Bigger Than Thought ............7 Expanding or Contracting? ......................................................................................................8 In Their Own Words................................................................................................................8 1929 Cosmic Times ......................................................................................................... 10 Andromeda Nebula Lies Outside Milky Way Galaxy...........................................................11 Universe is Expanding ...........................................................................................................11 “Great Debate” Resolved.......................................................................................................11 The Minds atop Mount Wilson..............................................................................................11 Classifying Nebulae...............................................................................................................11 In Their Own Words..............................................................................................................11 Notes on the 1929 Articles .......................................................................................................12 Andromeda Nebula Lies Outside Milky Way Galaxy...........................................................12 Universe is Expanding ...........................................................................................................14 Sidebar: "Great Debate" Resolved.........................................................................................17 The Minds atop Mount Wilson..............................................................................................18 Sidebar: Classifying Nebulae.................................................................................................19 1955 Cosmic Times ......................................................................................................... 24 ‘Yardsticks’ in Neighbor Galaxy Double Universe’s Size....................................................25 Origin of Everything..............................................................................................................25 Hoyle Scoffs at “Big Bang” Universe Theory.......................................................................25 Death of a Genius: Albert Einstein 1879 - 1955....................................................................25 It’s a Star! It’s a Nova! It’s Super-nova.................................................................................25 Radio ‘Ear’ on the Universe Being Built...............................................................................25 Notes on the 1955 Articles .......................................................................................................26 "Yardsticks" in Neighbor Galaxy Double Universe's Size....................................................26 Origin of Everything: Hot Bang or Ageless Universe? .........................................................27 Sidebar: Hoyle Scoffs at "Big Bang" Universe Theory.........................................................29 Death of a Genius: Albert Einstein 1879-1955......................................................................30 1 It's a Star! It's a Nova! It's Super-Nova! ................................................................................30 Radio 'Ear' on the Universe Being Built................................................................................31 1965 Cosmic Times ......................................................................................................... 33 Murmur of a Bang..................................................................................................................34 Big hiss missed by others.......................................................................................................34 Supernovae Leave Behind Cosmic X-ray Generators ...........................................................34 Quasars: Express Trains to the Netherworld .........................................................................34 Galaxies Still Misbehaving....................................................................................................34 Notes on the 1965 Articles .......................................................................................................35 Murmur of a Bang..................................................................................................................35 Big hiss missed by others.......................................................................................................37 Supernovae Leave Behind Cosmic X-ray Generators ...........................................................38 Quasars: Express Trains to the Netherworld .........................................................................41 Galaxies Still Misbehaving....................................................................................................42 1993 Cosmic Times ......................................................................................................... 45 Baby Universe’s 1st Picture....................................................................................................46 Pancake or Oatmeal Universe – What’s for Breakfast? ........................................................46 Inflation in the Universe ........................................................................................................46 Dark Matter Hunt Heats Up...................................................................................................46 Fool-Proofing Galactic ‘Candles’..........................................................................................46 Pulsar Gravitational Waves Win Nobel Prize........................................................................47 Notes on 1993 Articles..............................................................................................................48 Baby Universe's 1st Picture ....................................................................................................48 Sidebar: Pancake or Oatmeal Universe – What's for Breakfast?...........................................51 Inflation in the Universe ........................................................................................................51 Dark Matter Hunt Heats Up...................................................................................................57 Pulsar Gravitational Waves Win Nobel Prize........................................................................58 Fool-Proofing Galactic 'Candles' ...........................................................................................60 2006 Cosmic Times ......................................................................................................... 63 Notes on the 2006 Articles .......................................................................................................65 Faster Walk on the Dark Side ................................................................................................65 Seeds of Modern Universe.....................................................................................................70 Biggest Mystery: What is Dark Energy? ...............................................................................73 Sidebar: Sorting Out the Dark Stuff ......................................................................................74 'First Light' Wins Nobel.........................................................................................................75 Journey to Cosmos' Dark Heart .............................................................................................75 2 1919 Cosmic Times In this first edition of Cosmic Times, several concepts are introduced which will be revisited and built upon in future editions. The first concept is the idea of Einstein’s General Relativity and its first confirmation. In addition,
Recommended publications
  • Jodrell Bank Observatory
    UK Tentative List of Potential Sites for World Heritage Nomination: Application form Please save the application to your computer, fill in and email to: [email protected] The application form should be completed using the boxes provided under each question, and, where possible, within the word limit indicated. Please read the Information Sheets before completing the application form. It is also essential to refer to the accompanying Guidance Note for help with each question, and to the relevant paragraphs of UNESCO’s Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, (OG) available at: http://whc.unesco.org/en/guidelines Applicants should provide only the information requested at this stage. Further information may be sought in due course. (1) Name of Proposed World Heritage Site Jodrell Bank Observatory (2) Geographical Location Name of country/region United Kingdom Grid reference to centre of site SJ 798708 Please enclose a map preferably A4-size, a plan of the site, and 6 photographs, preferably electronically. page 1 (3) Type of Site Please indicate category: Natural Cultural Mixed Cultural Landscape (4) Description Please provide a brief description of the proposed site, including the physical characteristics. 200 words The Jodrell Bank Observatory, which is part of the University of Manchester’s School of Physics and Astronomy, is dominated by the monumental Lovell Telescope, the first large fully steerable radio telescope in the world - which still operates as the 3rd largest on the planet. The telescope, which is a Grade 1 listed structure, is 76m in diameter and stands 89m high. Despite its age (53 years in 2010), it is now more powerful than ever and remains at the forefront of Astrophysics research, working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to observe distant galaxies and objects such as Pulsars and Quasars, far out across the Universe.
    [Show full text]
  • The Birth of Stars and Planets
    Unit 6: The Birth of Stars and Planets This material was developed by the Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory with the assistance of a Natural Science and Engineering Research Council PromoScience grant and the NRC. It is a part of a larger project to present grade-appropriate material that matches 2020 curriculum requirements to help students understand planets, with a focus on exoplanets. This material is aimed at BC Grade 6 students. French versions are available. Instructions for teachers ● For questions and to give feedback contact: Calvin Schmidt [email protected], ​ ● All units build towards the Big Idea in the curriculum showing our solar system in the context of the Milky Way and the Universe, and provide background for understanding exoplanets. ● Look for Ideas for extending this section, Resources, and Review and discussion ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ questions at the end of each topic in this Unit. These should give more background on ​ each subject and spark further classroom ideas. We would be happy to help you ​ expand on each topic and develop your own ideas for your students. Contact us at ​ the [email protected]. ​ ​ Instructions for students ● If there are parts of this unit that you find confusing, please contact us at [email protected] for help. ​ ● We recommend you do a few sections at a time. We have provided links to learn more about each topic. ● You don’t have to do the sections in order, but we recommend that. Do sections you find interesting first and come back and do more at another time. ● It is helpful to try the activities rather than just read them.
    [Show full text]
  • How Supernovae Became the Basis of Observational Cosmology
    Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 19(2), 203–215 (2016). HOW SUPERNOVAE BECAME THE BASIS OF OBSERVATIONAL COSMOLOGY Maria Victorovna Pruzhinskaya Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire, Université Clermont Auvergne, Université Blaise Pascal, CNRS/IN2P3, Clermont-Ferrand, France; and Sternberg Astronomical Institute of Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Universitetsky prospect 13, Russia. Email: [email protected] and Sergey Mikhailovich Lisakov Laboratoire Lagrange, UMR7293, Université Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, Boulevard de l'Observatoire, CS 34229, Nice, France. Email: [email protected] Abstract: This paper is dedicated to the discovery of one of the most important relationships in supernova cosmology—the relation between the peak luminosity of Type Ia supernovae and their luminosity decline rate after maximum light. The history of this relationship is quite long and interesting. The relationship was independently discovered by the American statistician and astronomer Bert Woodard Rust and the Soviet astronomer Yury Pavlovich Pskovskii in the 1970s. Using a limited sample of Type I supernovae they were able to show that the brighter the supernova is, the slower its luminosity declines after maximum. Only with the appearance of CCD cameras could Mark Phillips re-inspect this relationship on a new level of accuracy using a better sample of supernovae. His investigations confirmed the idea proposed earlier by Rust and Pskovskii. Keywords: supernovae, Pskovskii, Rust 1 INTRODUCTION However, from the moment that Albert Einstein (1879–1955; Whittaker, 1955) introduced into the In 1998–1999 astronomers discovered the accel- equations of the General Theory of Relativity a erating expansion of the Universe through the cosmological constant until the discovery of the observations of very far standard candles (for accelerating expansion of the Universe, nearly a review see Lipunov and Chernin, 2012).
    [Show full text]
  • Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Classroom Materials for Schools
    Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Classroom Materials for schools GCSE/BTEC: Inflatable Planetarium Links to resources The resources below are suggested activities your class could complete before or after this workshop. Please note these are recommended activities; it is not compulsory that students complete them. Some of the resources require access to ICT. The University of Manchester cannot be held responsible for the content of external sites. 1. Institute of Physics: Life Cycle of Stars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM9CQDlQI0A Explains how we believe stars are born, live and die and the different ends to different sized stars. Features Professor Tim O’Brien; Associate Director of the Jodrell Bank Observatory. 2. Institute of Physics: How big is the Universe? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_xZuopg4Sk Explains how astronomers have learnt to measure the distance to the stars. How many stars are in the observable universe and is it possible to comprehend the size of it all? 3. Institute of Physics: The Expanding Universe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jms_vklUeHA The expansion of the universe, the big bang and dark matter. Astronomers talk us through what we know and don't know about the universe. 4. Institute of Physics: Classroom demonstration: Colour and temperature of stars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZve8FQhLOI Using a variable resistor and a light bulb, it is possible to demonstrate how the colour of a star is related to its temperature. 5. Institute of Physics: Classroom demonstration: H-R diagram https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL3tt-fJC1k How to illustrate the life cycle of stars using a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a large sheet, and some students.
    [Show full text]
  • A Relativistic Helical Jet in the Gamma-Ray AGN 1156+
    Astronomy & Astrophysics manuscriptno.ms3548-hong-final November20,2018 (DOI: will be inserted by hand later) A relativistic helical jet in the γ-ray AGN 1156+295 X. Y. Hong1,2, D. R. Jiang1,2, L. I. Gurvits3, M. A. Garrett3, S. T. Garrington4, R. T. Schilizzi5,6, R. D. Nan2, H. Hirabayashi7, W. H. Wang1,2, and G. D. Nicolson8 1 Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030, China 2 National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012, China 3 Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands 4 Jodrell Bank Observatory, University of Manchester, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11–9DL, UK 5 ASTRON, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands 6 Leiden Observatory, PO Box 9513, 2300, RA Leiden, The Netherlands 7 Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan 8 Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory, Krugersdorp 1740, South Africa Received 31 January 2003/ accepted 19 November 2003 Abstract. We present the results of a number of high resolution radio observations of the AGN 1156+295. These include multi-epoch and multi-frequency VLBI, VSOP, MERLIN and VLA observations made over a period of ′′ ◦ 50 months. The 5 GHz MERLIN images trace a straight jet extending to ∼ 2 at P.A. ∼ −18 . Extended low brightness emission was detected in the MERLIN observation at 1.6 GHz and the VLA observation at 8.5 GHz ◦ with a bend of ∼ 90 at the end of the 2 arcsecond jet. A region of similar diffuse emission is also seen about 2 arcseconds south of the radio core.
    [Show full text]
  • The European Vlbi Network: a Sensitive and State-Of- The-Art Instrument for High-Resolution Science
    THE EUROPEAN VLBI NETWORK: A SENSITIVE AND STATE-OF- THE-ART INSTRUMENT FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION SCIENCE P. CHARLOT Observatoire de Bordeaux (OASU) – CNRS/UMR 5804 BP 89, 33270 Floirac, France e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT. The European VLBI Network (EVN) is an array of 18 radio telescopes located throughout Europe and beyond that carry out synchronized very-long-baseline-interferometric (VLBI) observations of radio-emitting sources. The data are processed at a central facility located at the Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE) in the Netherlands. The EVN is freely open to any scientist in the world based on peer-reviewed proposals. This paper outlines the current capabilities of the EVN and procedures for observing, highlights some recent results that have been obtained, and puts emphasis on the future development of the array. 1. INTRODUCTION The European VLBI Network (EVN)1 was formed in 1980 by a consortium of five of the major radio astronomy institutes in Europe (the European Consortium for VLBI). Since then, the EVN and the Consortium has grown to include 12 institutes in Spain, UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Finland, Poland and China (Table 1). In addition, the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory in South Africa and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico are active Associate Members of the EVN. The EVN members operate 18 individual antennae, which include some of the world’s largest and most sensitive telescopes (Fig. 1). Together, these telescopes form a large scale facility, a continent-wide radio interferometer with baselines ranging from 200 km to 9000 km.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring the Cosmic Frontier Astrophysical Instruments for the 21St Century ABSTRACT BOOK
    Exploring the Cosmic Frontier Astrophysical Instruments for the 21st Century Berlin, 18{21 May 2004 ABSTRACT BOOK Talks 3 Exploring the Cosmic Frontier: Astrophysical Instruments for the 21st Century Seesion I: Future Astrophysical Facilities Radio Facilities R. Ekers ATNF, Sydney, Australia Five decades ago, astronomers ¯nally broke free of the boundaries of light when a new science, radio astronomy, was born. This new way of 'seeing' rapidly uncovered a range of unexpected objects in the cosmos. This was our ¯rst view of the non-thermal universe, and our ¯rst unobscured view of the universe. In its short life, radio astronomy has had an unequalled record of discovery, including four Nobel prizes: Big-Bang radiation, neutron stars, aperture synthesis and gravitational radiation. New technologies now make it possible to construct new and upgraded radio wavelength arrays which will provide a powerful new generation of facilities. Radio telescopes such as the SKA together with the upgraded VLA will have orders of magnitude greater sensitivity than existing facilities. They will be able to study thermal and non-thermal emission from a wide range of astrophysical phenomena throughout the universe as well as greatly extending the range of unique science accessible at radio wavelengths. Millimeter, submillimeter and far-infrared astronomy facilities J. Cernicharo IEM, Madrid I will present the future observatories Herschel and ALMA and their capacities for the observation of the Universe in the wavelength range 60-3000 microns. From the solar system to the most distant galaxies, both instruments will allow to observe the cold gas and dust with an excellent frequency coverage and with very high angular resolution.
    [Show full text]
  • ASTRONET ERTRC Report
    Radio Astronomy in Europe: Up to, and beyond, 2025 A report by ASTRONET’s European Radio Telescope Review Committee ! 1!! ! ! ! ERTRC report: Final version – June 2015 ! ! ! ! ! ! 2!! ! ! ! Table of Contents List%of%figures%...................................................................................................................................................%7! List%of%tables%....................................................................................................................................................%8! Chapter%1:%Executive%Summary%...............................................................................................................%10! Chapter%2:%Introduction%.............................................................................................................................%13! 2.1%–%Background%and%method%............................................................................................................%13! 2.2%–%New%horizons%in%radio%astronomy%...........................................................................................%13! 2.3%–%Approach%and%mode%of%operation%...........................................................................................%14! 2.4%–%Organization%of%this%report%........................................................................................................%15! Chapter%3:%Review%of%major%European%radio%telescopes%................................................................%16! 3.1%–%Introduction%...................................................................................................................................%16!
    [Show full text]
  • European VLBI Network Newsle`Er
    European VLBI Network NewsleGer Number 48 ! September 2017 Contents Message from the Chairman of the EVN Board of Directors ................................................................ 2 Call for EVN proposals ........................................................................................................................... 3 EVN science highlights .......................................................................................................................... 4 Probing the innermost regions of AGN jets and their magneWc fields with RadioAstron II. ObservaWons of 3C 273 at minimum acWvity ................................................................................ 4 Is there a hidden AGN in NGC1614? ................................................................................................ 5 News from JUMPING JIVE .................................................................................................................... 7 EVN/JIVE Technical Developments ........................................................................................................ 8 Ghana and South Africa celebrate first success of African network of telescopes ........................... 8 BRoad bAND EVN .............................................................................................................................. 9 Successful combined use of linear and circular polarizers in the eEVN. ......................................... 10 Reports from MeeWngs .....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Bernard Lovell (1913-2012) Physicist and Radar Pioneer Who Created the Famous Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope
    COMMENT OBITUARY Bernard Lovell (1913-2012) Physicist and radar pioneer who created the famous Jodrell Bank radio telescope. ith vision, inspiration and deter- a small team built a parabolic reflector in the Western world. Suddenly everyone mination, Bernard Lovell created 66 metres in diameter, made of wires stretched realized the telescope’s importance. Lord the Jodrell Bank Observatory in between scaffold poles. Robert Hanbury Nuffield paid off the debt, half personally WCheshire, UK, and the great radio telescope Brown used this dish to discover radio waves and half from the Nuffield Foundation, and there that bears his name. Through his lead- from the Andromeda galaxy. It was the start serious astronomy could begin. ership, generations of astronomers developed of astronomy at Jodrell Bank. That dish was The telescope fulfilled Lovell’s vision of the tools of radio astronomy that have revo- fixed and could only stare upwards. Lovell’s opening a new window on the Universe. It lutionized astrophysics and cosmology. had illustrious roles in early space explo- Lovell was born in Oldland Common ration, in the discovery of quasars and the near Bristol, UK, and educated at the local first gravitational lens, and in the discov- Kingswood Grammar School. He was ery and study of pulsars, or neutron stars, PHOTOSHOT PHOTOSHOT attracted to science through a lecture by which have provided the most precise physicist Arthur Tyndall. He joined Tyn- tests of Einstein’s general theory of rela- dall as a research student at the University tivity. After 55 years and two major refur- of Bristol, where his meticulous work on bishments, the telescope is still working at the resistance of thin metallic films earned the frontiers of knowledge.
    [Show full text]
  • Executive Summary Executive Summary 13 372000 376000 380000 384000 388000 ´ 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 7 7 3 3
    0 379400 379600 379800 380000 0 0 0 4 4 1 1 7 535 7 3 A 3 Car Park Granada Arboretum ´ Executive Discovery Centre 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 7 7 Summary 3 3 Lovell Telescope State Party A4 or A3 size map(s) of world. Constructed between 1952 the nominated property, and 1957, its first act was to track the United Kingdom carrier rocket for Sputnik 1, the first 0 0 0 0 0 0 showing boundaries and 1 1 satellite ever launched into orbit and 7 7 State, Province or Region buffer zone (if present) humanity’s first step into space. The 3 3 Telescope was the largest of its kind England (Cheshire East administrative See maps enclosed in dossier. in the world for 15 years and inspired Square Kilometre authority) Array Headquarters the construction of many other Criteria under which instruments worldwide. Name of Property property is nominated The property encompasses a number Jodrell Bank Observatory (itemize criteria) of other radio telescopes, including Geographical Coordinates (i), (ii), (iv), (vi) the Mark II Telescope, and functional Bridge Farm 0 0 buildings on a 17.38-hectare site. Many 0 0 8 8 to the nearest second 0 0 Draft Statement of of these are original structures and 7 7 3 3 instruments, while remnants of earlier N 53° 14’ 05” W 2° 18’ 18” Outstanding Universal Value structures also persist, some of them Textual description of the a. Brief Synthesis below ground. boundary of the nominated Jodrell Bank Observatory is the earliest The character of the Observatory has property radio astronomy observatory in the been determined by the evolution of world that is still in existence.
    [Show full text]
  • Radio Telescopes and Interferometers in the World
    Radio Telescopes and Interferometers in the World 澤田-佐藤 聡子 사와다-사토우 사토코 Satoko SAWADA-SATOH (山口大学, 야마구치대학, Yamaguchi University) Second Asian Radio Astronomy School Aug 18-22, 2008 at ASIAA, Taipei World Radio Telescope Tour ! (...but not in East Asia) 1. Big Antenna 2. Interferometry 3. VLBI Big Antenna ~ Towards higher sensitivity Arecibo (National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center ) • The largest single aperture ~ 73000 m2 • Diameter : 305 m • Location : Puerto Rico • Band : 50 MHz to 10 GHz • Maximum Angular Resolution : 30'' RATAN-600 (Special Astrophysics Observatory) • The world's largest radio telescope • 576 meter diameter of circular antenna with tilt-able curved and flat reflectors • Location : Zelenchukskaya, Russia • Aperture : ~15000 m2 • Band : 600 MHz to 30 GHz • Maximum Angular Resolution : 2'' Effelsberg Telescope (Max Planck Institut) • The 100-m diameter alt-azimuth mounted antenna • The largest fully steerable radio telescope for 30 years • Location : Effelsberg, near Bonn, Germany • Aperture : 7854 m2 • Band : 800 MHz to 96 GHz • Maximum Angular Resolution : 60'' Green Bank Telescope (NRAO) • Parabolic off axis reflector • The world's largest fully steerable radio telescope – 100 m x 110 m diameter • Location : Green Bank, West Virginia, USA • Band : 300 MHz to 50 GHz • Maximum Angular Resolution : 120'' Lovell Telescope (Jodrell Bank Observatory) • A 76-m alt-azimuth mounted parabolic dish antenna • Location : Cheshire, in the north-west of England • Band : Up to ~ 5 GHz • Maximum Angular Resolution : 160'' Tidbinbilla
    [Show full text]