SLAS Regular Meeting
Friday, November 21, 2014 7:30pm
McDonnell Hall, Washington University

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and
the Accelerating Universe

by
Dr. Bharat Ratra
Kansas State University

Scientists have discovered that most of the material in the universe is invisible – it neither emits light nor reflects light, so they call it "dark matter". They have also discovered a strange force that is causing the universe to expand ever faster. The force is apparently due to an unknown phenomenon, which they have called "dark energy". Dr. Ratra will describe the astronomical data that persuades cosmologists that the dark energy and dark matter, whatever they turn out to be, are by far the main components of the universe at this time. He will also explain how these observations have led to the development of a detailed "standard" model of cosmology. This model describes how the universe has evolved from a small speck
at an unimaginably short time after the Big Bang to the immense and complex structures of the cosmos that we see almost fourteen billion years later.

Dr. Ratra is a Professor of Physics at Kansas State University. His research interests involve cosmology and astroparticle physics. He studies the structure and evolution of the universe by devising computer models. These models predict the distribution of matter and energy of the present universe from points in time after its beginning. He then compares the results of the models to the observed universe of today.

Upcoming meetings
December: Lunar and Solar Eclipse Photography

Meeting Agenda

Welcome

Introduction of Officers

Dr. Ratra

Announcements and Star Parties