Energy density of photons and matter

In summary, the conversation discusses a problem that asks to calculate the ratio of current energy density of CMBR photons to that of baryonic matter. The present density of baryonic matter in the universe is given as pm,0=2.56x10-27kg/m3 and the CMBR temperature is 2.725K. One of the participants calculates the energy density of the CMBR and discusses the meaning of pm,0. The conversation then moves on to finding the redshift at which the energy density of matter is equal to that of radiation. The participants use equations and discuss different values, ultimately arriving at a final answer. They also question the accuracy of their calculations and whether they are finding the
  • #1
indie452
124
0
hi

im doing a question at the moment and am having issues understanding the question, and i can't ask my lecturer as he is stuck abroad with no internet.

the question asks to calculate the ratio of current energy density of CMBR photons to that of baryonic matter.
the present density of baryonic matter in the universe is pm,0=2.56x10-27kg/m3
CMBR Temp = 2.725K

ok so i calculated energy density of the CMBR = 4/c * [sigma]T4 = 0.417x10-13J/m3
sigma=stefans constant
i'm not quite sure how to turn the pm,0 of baryonic matter into an energy density. but i can see it needs to be multiplied by dimensions (m/s)^2

thanks for any hints

also what does pm,0 mean?
 
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  • #2
indie452 said:
hi

im doing a question at the moment and am having issues understanding the question, and i can't ask my lecturer as he is stuck abroad with no internet.

the question asks to calculate the ratio of current energy density of CMBR photons to that of baryonic matter.
the present density of baryonic matter in the universe is pm,0=2.56x10-27kg/m3
CMBR Temp = 2.725K

ok so i calculated energy density of the CMBR = 4/c * [sigma]T4 = 0.417x10-13J/m3
sigma=stefans constant
i'm not quite sure how to turn the pm,0 of baryonic matter into an energy density. but i can see it needs to be multiplied by dimensions (m/s)^2

thanks for any hints

also what does pm,0 mean?

The problem states what [tex] \rho_{m,0} [/tex] means:
The present density of baryonic matter in the universe. This is the measured mass of baryons in our universe per cubic meter.
 
  • #3
Hint: Where does the matter get its energy from??
 
  • #4
i am thinking that i times the baryonic mass density by c^2
this would give 1.44Gev/m^3
so the ratio would be 0.261Mev/m3 / 1.44Gev/m^3 = 1.8125x10-4
 
  • #5
But why? I know the units work and that is what I got as well. Where does energy from mass come form?
 
  • #6
oh from the E=mc^2 relation of mass to energy.
 
  • #7
indie452 said:
oh from the E=mc^2 relation of mass to energy.

Yep and since energy density [tex] \epsilon = \frac{E}{V} [/tex][tex] \epsilon = \frac{mc^2}{\frac{m}{\rho_0}} = \rho_0c^2 [/tex]
 
  • #8
ok thanks for that the reasoning behind that makes more sense now

btw the next part says to calculate th redshift at which the energy density of matter = that of radiation (i.e. the CMBR photons)

i tried:

e = energy density

e[rad] / e[matter] = 1 when equal and this is also proportional to a-4/a-3 where a is cosmological scale factor. and i am told a ~ (z+1)

this would mean however that 1= 1/a = 1/(z+1) and so z=0
i know this is wrong

i think it should be ~3600 this value i found many times in my reading but didnt understand how it was found
 
  • #9
ok i just tried

z+1 ~ (1.8x10-4)-1
so z is ~5526

i know this doesn't take into account 3 types of neutrinos
do i times 1.8x10-4 by 1.68 to take them into account?
 
  • #10
indie452 said:
ok thanks for that the reasoning behind that makes more sense now

btw the next part says to calculate th redshift at which the energy density of matter = that of radiation (i.e. the CMBR photons)

i tried:

e = energy density

e[rad] / e[matter] = 1 when equal and this is also proportional to a-4/a-3 where a is cosmological scale factor. and i am told a ~ (z+1)

this would mean however that 1= 1/a = 1/(z+1) and so z=0
i know this is wrong

i think it should be ~3600 this value i found many times in my reading but didnt understand how it was found

[tex] \epsilon_m = \epsilon_{m,0}(1+z)^3 [/tex] and

[tex] \epsilon_{rad} = \epsilon_{rad, 0}(1+z)^4 [/tex]
 
  • #11
ok so em0/erad0 = 1+z

z= (1.8x10-4)^-1 - 1 = 5526.0066027

this gives a temp of the CMBR => T=1/(z+1) = 1.809x10-4 K
this doesn't seem right. surely temp should be larger than now?
 
  • #12
indie452 said:
ok so em0/erad0 = 1+z

z= (1.8x10-4)^-1 - 1 = 5526.0066027

this gives a temp of the CMBR => T=1/(z+1) = 1.809x10-4 K
this doesn't seem right. surely temp should be larger than now?

No, [tex]

\frac{\epsilon_{rad}}{\epsilon_{m}} = \frac{\epsilon_{rad,0}}{\epsilon_{m,0}}(1+z) [/tex]
 
  • #13
but surely
erad/em = 1 [cause I am looking for equality]
and so
erad/em = 1 = erad0(z+1)/em0
so
erad0/em0 = 1/(z+1)
therefore
z+1 = em0/erad0
which is what i put
 
  • #14
O right, my bad.
 
  • #15
thats ok, its just that it doesn't seem right.
is it correct to get the temp by saying T~1/(z+1)?
cause this just gives values i would have thought as being too small. or is this the overall temp of radiation and matter? and i only want the CMBR temp
 

1. What is energy density?

Energy density is the amount of energy per unit volume or unit mass. It is a measure of the concentration of energy in a given space.

2. How is energy density calculated for photons?

The energy density of photons is calculated by dividing the total energy of the photons by the volume in which they are contained. This is known as the photon energy density formula: E = hc/λV, where E is the energy density, h is Planck's constant, c is the speed of light, λ is the wavelength, and V is the volume.

3. How is energy density different for photons and matter?

Energy density for photons and matter is different because photons have no rest mass and move at the speed of light, while matter has rest mass and moves at slower speeds. This means that photons have a higher energy density compared to matter.

4. What is the impact of energy density on the behavior of photons and matter?

The energy density of photons and matter affects their behavior. Higher energy density means more concentrated energy, which can lead to stronger interactions between particles and more energetic reactions. This is why high-energy density environments, such as those found in stars, can lead to nuclear fusion reactions.

5. How does the energy density of photons and matter relate to the concept of mass-energy equivalence?

The energy density of photons and matter is related to mass-energy equivalence, which states that mass and energy are equivalent and can be converted into each other. This means that photons, which have no rest mass, still have energy and contribute to the overall energy density of a system. This concept is important in understanding the behavior of particles in high-energy environments.

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