Cosmology

Cosmology: The Birth & Fate of the Universe

The Big Bang Theory is currently the best theory describing the origin of the universe. Evidence to support it includes the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (relic radiation leftover from the Big Bang some 12-15 billion years ago, first mapped by the COBE satellite in 1992, to be mapped in greater detail by the MAP satellite over the next few years) and the fact that the universe is expanding (as observed by Edwin Hubble in 1929). Cosomology also includes the eventual fate of the universe-- will it expand forever, or recollapse in a 'Big Crunch'?

Overviews

Fundamental Issues in Cosmology by Professor Joseph Silk, U. C. Berkeley

Ned Wright's Cosmology Tutorial-- (UCLA professor)

Introduction to Cosmology-- M.A.P.'s general cosmology web site

Cosmic Microwave Background-- the relic radiation from the Big Bang

Cosmology: A Research Briefing-- Nat'l Academy of Sciences. Includes the large-scale structure of the universe and the physics of the very early universe

Creation of a Cosmology: Big Bang Theory

An Intro to Inflation-- includes some historical perspective

Philosophy of the Big Bang-- Ever wonder what's 'outside' the universe?

Articles

'Little Bang' creates cosmic soup On matter creation after the Big Bang(BBC News, 10 Feb 2000)

Universe is expanding faster than expected -- study using Cepheids as distance indicators (CNN, Sep. 1999)

A New Look at the Age of the Universe -- The X-ray satellite Chandra will target universe's age (Feb. 1999--5 mos. before Chandra's launch)

New Findings Help Balance the Cosmological Books -- (NY Times, Feb 1999); (you need to register to use the site first, it's really easy)

Hubble Captures Images from 12 Billion Years Ago -- HST Deep Field South (CNN, Nov. 1998)

Hubble Telescope Finds Most Distant Galaxies Ever Detected -- (CNN, Oct. 1998)

The Flip Side of the Universe -- The universe has a flat geometry (Sci. Amer., Sep. 1998)

Supercomputer to Probe Deepest Questions of Existence -- (CNN, May 1998)

Astronomers Find Most Distant Object in Cosmos -- (CNN, Mar. 1998)

Scientists Stunned to Learn Universe May be Accelerating -- (CNN, Feb 1998)

Astronomers Claim the Universe has an Innate Direction -- This find, which contradicts the basic cosmological theory that the universe should have no preferred direction of observation, was later disproven. (Sci. Amer, May 1997)

Physicists Describe Grim End of the World -- (CNN, Jan 1997)

Research Efforts

Microwave Anisotropy Probe-- mission goals include exploration of galaxy formation and detailed study of the cosmic microwave background radiation

NASA's Origins Program

Tufts Institute of Cosmology

NASA/Fermilab Theoretical Astrophysics Group

Grand Challenge Cosmology Consortium

Theories (Advanced)

Beyond the Big Bang -- Inflation and other theories

A New Big Bang-- Gene Nutting applies relativity to the Big Bang

Cosmos in a Computer

Hot Big Bang-- the hot big bang model

SteadyState Galaxies - An Alternative to the Big Bang

The Theory of Nothing