Nuclear constraints on the age of the universe
In this paper a review is made of how one can use nuclear physics to put rather stringent limits on the age of the universe and thus the cosmic distance scale. As the other papers in this session have demonstrated there is some disagreement on the distance scale and thus the limits on the age of the universe (if the cosmological constant ..lambda.. = 0). However, the disagreement is only over the last factor of 2, the basic timescale seems to really be remarkably well agreed upon. The universe is billions of years old - not thousands, not quintillions but bilions of years. That our universe has a finite age is philosophically intriguing. That we can estimate that age to a fair degree of accuracy is truly impressive. No single measurement of the time since the Big Bang gives a specific, unambiguous age. Fortunately, we have at our disposal several methods that together fix the age with surprising precision. In particular, as the other papers show, there are three totally independent techniques for estimating an age and a fourth technique which involves finding consistency of the other three in the framework of the standard Big Bang cosmological model. The three independent methods are: cosmological dynamics, the age of the oldest stars, and radioactive dating. This paper concentrates on the third of the three methods, as well as go into the consistency technique.
- Research Organization:
- Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH03000
- OSTI ID:
- 6527105
- Report Number(s):
- FERMILAB-Conf-82/93; CONF-8208107-1; ON: DE83004461
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 18. general assembly of the International Astronomical Union, Patras, Greece, 17 Aug 1982
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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