The History and Fate of the Universe

 

Define time by “cosmic decade”:  time=10 t years  (t is decade)

 

Primordial Era

t = -50: Planck epoch

t = -35: symmetry breaking, inflation

t = -12: formation of “normal” particles

t = -6  : production of helium

t = 4   : end of radiation domination

t = 5.5: atoms form, cosmic microwave background

 

Stellar Era

t = 6   : first stars form

t = 9   : Milky Way, galaxies form

t = 9.5: formation of solar system

t =10.2: Sun dies

t = 14 : end of star formation, smallest stars die

 

Degenerate Era

t = 16 : colliding brown dwarfs

t = 19 : most brown dwarfs, planets kicked out of galaxies

t = 30 : remaining dwarfs fall into central black hole

t = 37 : free protons decay, neutron stars decay

t = 39 : protons in dwarfs and planets decay

 

Black Hole Era

t = 42 : dark matter particles decay into photons

t = 66 : stellar black holes evaporate

t = 84 : galactic black holes evaporate

t = 98 : largest black holes evaporate

t = 141 : last positronium decays

 

(see “The Five Ages of the Universe” by Adams and Laughlin)