It’s never too late to learn more about the universe and how it relates to our everyday lives.
By DALE BOHM
Why study astrophysics? Simply put, it’s interesting and challenges the brain. Many studies confirm that our brain has the ability to learn and grow as we age—a process called brain plasticity. But for it to do so, we must train and challenge it on a regular basis.
“Eventually, your cognitive skills will wane and thinking and memory will be more challenging, so you need to build up your reserve,” says Dr. John N. Morris, director of social and health policy research at the Harvard-affiliated Institute for Aging Research. “Embracing a new activity that also forces you to think and learn and requires ongoing practice can be one of the best ways to keep the brain healthy.”
Astrophysics is a complicated science. Not only do we learn about massive objects in the universe like stars, galaxies, and black holes, there are tiny quantum particles to study as well. The coolest thing about astrophysics is exploring universal questions: How did our universe start? What happened after the Big Bang? Where is our universe headed? Everything on earth is intimately connected to the sun, moon, and planets in our solar system, not to mention the quantum particles that govern every atom in our bodies.
Over the years, I’ve gained knowledge from books, the internet, and science programs on TV such as PBS Space Time hosted by Matt O’Dowd, and Complex Questions Answered Simply hosted by Arvin Ash. I’ve learned the most from O’Dowd, who has a PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Melbourne and is an Associate Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the Lehman College of the City University of New York.
Here’s a brief overview to get you started. Grab a dictionary or Google, put on your seatbelt, and get ready to learn and challenge your brain!
In the Beginning
When faced with complicated questions, it is always best to break them down into their simplest form. A famous quote by Albert Einstein states, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” In the beginning, moments after the Big Bang, our universe was very simple. It was a hot soup of fundamental particles and their antiparticles. Neutrinos decoupled one second after the big bang and traveled freely into space, creating the cosmic neutrino background. Scientist are now trying to detect these neutrinos at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, which is located at the South Pole.
Protons and neutrons formed from the fundamental particles and became hydrogen and helium nuclei. As the universe continued to expand and cool, hydrogen nuclei gained electrons and hydrogen atoms began to pair up, sharing their electron shells with opposite spin electrons. Much later in time, stars began to form, and our early universe developed black holes from supernova explosions of massive stars. Finally, galaxies formed around the black holes.
Quantum Fields Forever
If you go even smaller than a particle, there are 24 different quantum fields that govern all the properties of our universe. The Standard Model of Particle Physics describes the most basic particles of the universe as six different quarks, six different leptons, and five different bosons, with each a particle in their own quantum field. One of the bosons called a gluon, carries the strong nuclear force and has a total of eight different quantum fields. One scientific theory, discovered by Italian physicist Gabriele Veneziano back in 1968, is called String Theory. Basically, it states that the fundamental particles of all matter are strings of extremely small scale, which vibrate at specific frequencies within a quantum field. The strings vibrate in different modes (just as a guitar string can produce different notes), with every mode appearing as a different particle in a specific quantum field.
The Ghosts of the Universe
Neutrinos continue to expand from supernova explosions and carry particles on a neutrino “wind” throughout the universe. Neutrinos are tiny particles traveling near the speed of light and are the second most common particle in the universe. A neutrino is similar to the electron except it is electrically neutral. Neutrinos are able to pass through matter almost undisturbed and are created as a result of decay and nuclear reactions. There are three types (or flavors) of neutrinos that oscillate between each type—electron, muon, and tau neutrinos. After a supernova, zillions upon zillions of neutrinos are released and carry heavier particles throughout the universe and make it possible for more complex atoms to form.
Tiny but Mighty
A neutron star is only about 20 kilometers in diameter, however it has way more mass than our sun. Neutron stars result from massive super red giant stars that would dwarf our Sun. After these stars have finished burning their nuclear fuel, they undergo a supernova explosion. This explosion blows off the outer layers of a star and the central region collapses under gravity. It collapses so much that protons and electrons are crushed together and combine to form neutrons. If the neutron star is large enough, it will create a black hole and its light will disappear from the universe forever.
Obey the Laws
Through the study of astrophysics, the laws of nature are revealed. By examining these laws and the particles that make up our universe, we can incorporate that information into our own lives and better understand our own reality.
Physicists Rudolf Clausius and William Thomson developed laws of thermodynamics back in 1860 that are still used today. The first law states that “energy can neither be created nor be destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.”
The second law states that “energy will always go from its highest energy to do work to its lowest ability to do work.”
Sir Isaac Newton developed the laws of motion way back in 1687, his most famous statement being that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
Continuing Education
There are literally hundreds of books and programs online to learn more about astrophysics. The Hubble Space Telescope and now the new James Webb telescope have provided us with outstanding photographs and are unlocking the secrets of the early universe. CERN’s Large Hadron Collider located in Switzerland is unlocking the mysteries of the particle world, with the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012. Now more than ever, scientists are learning the secrets of our universe and sharing it freely with all of humanity.
Dale Bohm, advertising representative for 3rd Act Magazine, is a motocross racer, skier, athlete, closet writer, and citizen scientist. He has been curious about the universe his entire life and is a lover of neutrinos. He lives in Bothell, Wash.
Books to Read:
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
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