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Scientific Theories:
Continuous creation Big Bang Theory the commonly accepted theory
Big Bang
Technically, there was no bang Technically, galaxies are not moving away from each other Reality: space expands
When there are more space between galaxies, they move away from each other Analogy: dots on an expanding balloon
Isaiah 45:12
I have stretched out the heavens... Its only ancient document that mentions an expanding Universe
Electromagnetic force
Attractive and repulsive Long range, 1039 times stronger than gravity
Gravitational Force
Law of Gravity:
M = mass of one object m = mass of second object G = 6.67 x 10-11 Nm2/kg2 r = distance between the objects
Electro-Magnetic Force
Coulomb Law: proton electron
Strength of EM-force determines how strongly electrons in an atom are held in orbit
Nuclear Weak-force
Repelling force that cause beta-decay
neutron
proton anti-neutrino electron (beta-particle)
The strength of the nuclear weak-force determines how fast neutrons are converted into protons and electrons
Nuclear Strong-force
Hold nucleus together by overcoming the repelling protons in nucleus:
neutron
proton neutron
proton
Strength of the nuclear strong-force determines how fast nuclear reactions will proceed
Question: what would happen to the Universe if the values of these physical constant were changed ?
Say, what would happen if the gravitational (or some other) constant would be off a little bit ?
We would surely weight a bit more on EarthBUT... Physicists did NOT expect earth-shattering consequences
Living cells consists of light and heavy elements (Hydrogen, Carbon, Oxygen, and metals such as Iron, Copper, ect)
To make both light and heavy elements, the strengths of the fundamental forces must lie within a very narrow range of values
Amazing Findings...
Brandon Carter presented his ideas about the anthropic principle in 1973 in Poland during the 500th birthday of Copernicus The anthropic principle states that
All the seemingly arbitrary and unrelated constants in physics have one strange thing in common these are precisely the value you need if you want to have a universe capable of sustaining life
proton
electron
Other amazing coincidences makes it possible for the stars and galaxies to form
Nuclear Reaction
Electrons can only occupy a number of specific orbits around the nucleus each orbit represents a certain energy level So also, nucleus of atoms can occupy a number of specific energy levels In a nuclear reaction, the Law of Conservation of Energy must hold:
Nuclear Reaction 2
When nuclei collide, they form a new nucleus:
If the energy level of the new nucleus is very different from one of its natural energy state, the new nucleus is unstable and will decompose (radio-activity):
Nuclear Resonance
If sum total of kinetic and nuclear energy before and after are very close to each other, the nuclear reaction will proceed very rapidly
In such case, we say there is Nuclear Resonance
Proton-proton cycle
The proton-proton cycle will burn Hydrogen into Helium (first phase of star development) When all Hydrogen are burned, phase 2 kicks in
Helium Fusion
After all the Hydrogen is converted to Helium, the star converts Helium to. What ? Here we have a major problem... When two Helium nuclei are fused into Beryllium-8, the resulting Beryllium-8 isotope is highly unstable
Beryllium-8 has a half life of 10-16 seconds !!!
Helium Beryllium-8 Helium
A Stellar Mystery
Dilemma:
According to the physical properties of Beryllium-8, stars cannot burn beyond Helium Yet, Helium is being converted in Carbon in stars all the time
Helium
Triple collisions are extremely rare and the rarity cannot explain the abundance of carbon
Ed Salpeters solution...
Faced with the dilemma that stars convert Helium into Carbon at great rate, and no plausible explanation for this process, the astrophysicist Ed Salpeter proposed the following solution in 1952: Helium
Helium
Beryllium-8
Helium
Carbon-12
Problem: there is no known energy level of the Carbon-12 nucleus that is near the sum total energy values of He and Be
Carbon-12
Helium
You want to form Oxygen (necessary for life !) But you want to keep some Carbon (also necessary for life)
A missed resonance
In order to have this nuclear reaction going:
Carbon-12 Oxygen-16 Helium
You need a natural energy level of Oxygen-16 close to the sum total of the energy levels of Carbon-12 and Helium But not too close - if the level is too close, most or all Carbon-12 will be converted, so you want this energy level to be off a bit
Another coincidence
Wellthey did find that resonance level of Oxygen-16 and it did miss the resonance level to slow the production of Oxygen-16 These two coincidences caused atheist atronomer Fred Hoyle to comment:
If you wanted to produce carbon and oxygen in roughly equal quantities by stellar nucleosynthesis, these are the two basic levels you would have to fix, and your fixing would have to be just about where these levels are actually found to be.... A commonsense interpretation of the facts suggests that a SUPERINTELLECT has MONKEYED with physics . . . and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature
Flatness-oldness problem
The following incredibly precise tweaking of the Universe is known as the Flatness-oldness problem The amount of matter created in the Big Bang has a profound impact on how the Universe will develop
Matter attract and will pull the Universe back together towards one point There is a critical amount where the attraction will halt the expansion and the Universe will slow down and stop expanding If the total mass in the Universe is less than critical, the Universe will keep expanding If the total mass in the Universe is more than critical, the Universe will stop expanding and contract (Big Crunch)
There are so many possible values to pick from for the total mass of the Universe
An does it matter how much mass there is in the Universe ?? (You will be amazed by the results)