What Was the Mass of the Universe Immediately After the Big Bang?

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter nearc
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Big bang Mass
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the mass of the universe immediately after the Big Bang, exploring the state and development of matter during that early period. Participants are interested in the implications of mass and energy conservation in cosmology, as well as the transition from the Big Bang to the formation of more complex structures over time.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks to understand the mass of the universe at or immediately after the Big Bang, noting the progression from quarks to protons to atoms as the universe cooled.
  • Another participant questions whether the inquiry pertains to the state of matter or the total amount of matter, referencing conservation of energy in general relativity and its implications for cosmology.
  • A participant mentions that after approximately 300,000 years, the universe became transparent and resembled a diffuse, orange hydrogen gas, although this is later clarified to be outside the immediate timeframe of the Big Bang.
  • There is a clarification that "after the BB" may be interpreted as after inflation, indicating a potential misunderstanding of the timeline being discussed.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the specific mass of the universe immediately after the Big Bang, and there are differing interpretations of what "after the BB" entails, indicating unresolved aspects of the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the limitations of current physics in describing the conditions immediately after the Big Bang, suggesting that many assumptions and definitions are still under debate.

nearc
Gold Member
Messages
65
Reaction score
6
I've been looking for more information about the state of matter [or soon to be matter] shortly after the big bang. As time progressed after the big bang matter started to develop and it became more and more complex and massive [for the most part], we had quarks then protons then neutrons then atoms, etc... obviously this is an simplified history but the pattern is that as the universe cooled matter, for the most part, became more massive. So working backwards what can we say about the mass of the stuff right at or right after the big bang? I know that we don't know much about that time as our physics does really work well at that time, but can we say anything about the mass of the universe right at creation?
 
Space news on Phys.org
Are you asking about the state of matter, or the amount of matter? If it's the amount:

FAQ: How does conservation of energy work in general relativity, and how does this apply to cosmology? What is the total mass-energy of the universe?

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=506985
 
When the universe became transparent after around 300,000 years I was told here that the entire universe looked like a diffuse, orange hydrogen gas.
 
Tanelorn said:
When the universe became transparent after around 300,000 years I was told here that the entire universe looked like a diffuse, orange hydrogen gas.

Yeah, but he's asking about almost immediately after the BB. MANY orders of magnitude fewer time units than 300,000 years
 
Sorry. I was interpreting after the BB as meaning after inflation.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
3K
  • · Replies 65 ·
3
Replies
65
Views
10K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
4K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
4K
  • · Replies 25 ·
Replies
25
Views
4K
  • · Replies 25 ·
Replies
25
Views
3K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
4K
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
4K
  • · Replies 27 ·
Replies
27
Views
6K
  • · Replies 32 ·
2
Replies
32
Views
4K