Astrophysics, Cosmology & Relativity
5 terms
Chandrasekhar Limit
Astrophysics, Cosmology & Relativity
Solar Masses (M_☉)
The maximum mass that a stable white dwarf star can support against gravitational collapse via electron degeneracy pressure.
M_Ch ≈ 1.4 M_☉ (1.44 Solar Masses)
Cosmic Inflation
Astrophysics, Cosmology & Relativity
Ultra-early Epoch (t ~ 10⁻³⁶ s)
A cosmological theory proposing a brief phase of exponential spatial expansion in the early universe (~10⁻³⁶ to 10⁻³² seconds after the Big Bang).
a(t) = a₀ e^(H t) (Exponential scale factor growth)
Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)
Astrophysics, Cosmology & Relativity
Kelvin (2.725 K Blackbody)
The electromagnetic thermal radiation leftover from the recombination epoch of the early universe (~380,000 years after the Big Bang).
T_CMB = 2.72548 ± 0.00057 K, λ_peak ≈ 1.06 mm
Cosmic Strings
Astrophysics, Cosmology & Relativity
1D Topological Defect
Hypothetical 1D subatomic-width topological line defects that may have formed during GUT phase transitions in the early universe.
Linear Mass Density G μ / c² ~ 10⁻⁶
Cosmological Redshift
Astrophysics, Cosmology & Relativity
Dimensionless Quantity (z)
The stretching of photon wavelengths to longer, redder values as light travels across the expanding space of the universe.
z = (λ_observed - λ_emitted) / λ_emitted, 1 + z = a(t_obs) / a(t_emit)