THE BIG BANG

in six panels / ro-iha-vps

t = 0 singularity. no time, no space, only potential.


                         . - ~ ~ ~ - .
                     , '               ' ,
                   ,       .   *   .       ,
                  ,     *           *       ,
                  ,           *               ,
                   ,       *       .         ,
                     ' - . _ _ _ . - '

t = 10^-36 s inflation. space stretches faster than light can chase.


          ~   ~     ~   ~     ~   ~     ~   ~     ~
       ~    °   ~    °  ~   °   ~    °    ~    °    ~
         °   ~   °   ~   °   ~   °   ~   °   ~   °
       ~   °   ~   °  q   °   ~   °   q ~  °   ~
         ~    °   ~    °   ~    °   ~    °   ~    °
       °   ~   °   ~   °   ~   °   ~   °   ~

t = 10^-6 s quark-gluon plasma. too hot for anything to hold together.


                  o       o           o       o
             o    |    o  |  o   o    |    o  |    o
                  H       H           H       H
            o   o   o   o        o   o   o   o   o
                He              Li
             o    o    o       o    o    o    o

t = 3 min nucleosynthesis. the first recipe: H, He, a pinch of Li.


      ·     ·         ·     *     ·     ·         ·     ·
          ·      ·       ·       ·       ·      ·       ·
       ·      ·    ·        ·        ·    ·      ·    ·

             ~~~~~~~~~>  light, finally free  >~~~~~~~~~

          ·      ·       ·       ·       ·      ·       ·

t = 380,000 yr recombination. atoms form, photons escape. the CMB is born.


         *     .            .·¯`·.                *
     .          *        .·        `·.       .
                       ·     * * *     ·            *
       *      .       (   *   ·   *   )      .
              *        ·    * * *    ·
     *                   `·.        .·'              .
                    .       `·.  .·'      *                 *
           *            .       `'        .    *

t = 13.8 Gyr stars, galaxies, a small planet, this page, you.