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San Francisco, 2:24 PM
Sun Nov 8
11 posts in the last 24 hours

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  • posts about #cosmology more →

    Cosmologists Look To Helium To Understand More Of Universe's Origins

    Our Universe May Have Been Recycled from an Earlier Universe

    Earth: A Very Special Place In the Void

    How Is the Universe Going to End?

    Ultracold Polar Telescope Searches for Dark Energy

    Is Dark Energy the New Aether?
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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of Mathmos Mathmos
    08/23/09

    In reply to Cosmologists Look To Helium To Understand More Of Universe's Origins
    Cosmologists Look To Helium To Understand More Of Universe's Origins

    I'm sure John Carter and Dejah Thoris will look favorably upon their quest.
     Reply
    Mathmos was starred Mathmos was unstarred
    Image of stereobot stereobot
    08/23/09

    In reply to Cosmologists Look To Helium To Understand More Of Universe's Origins
    So all that helium - that is why all the stars and galaxies float in space, right?

    ...just kidding..
     Reply
    stereobot was starred stereobot was unstarred
    Image of phoghat phoghat
    08/22/09

    In reply to Cosmologists Look To Helium To Understand More Of Universe's Origins
    Cosmologists have pegged the time of first attraction between helium nuclei and electrons at about 15,000 years after the Big Bang, with the second electrons needed to complete the atom being brought at around the 100,000 year mark.
    HOW???
     Reply
    phoghat was starred phoghat was unstarred
    Image of Alasdair Wilkins Alasdair Wilkins
    08/22/09

    @phoghat: I'm not even remotely an expert, but I'd guess they arrive at that figure through their estimations of the size and temperature of the universe at that given point combined with the electrical charge of the helium nuclei. 15,000 years is probably around when the universe was cool and big enough for the helium nuclei to attract electrons without interference from photons. However, once that first electron was in place, the charge of the now unstable atom was considerably less, meaning it took a while longer for the universe to get big and cool enough for the second electron to be attracted.

    Again, not an expert, and I could be very, very wrong.
     Reply
    Alasdair Wilkins was starred Alasdair Wilkins was unstarred
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