Astronomy › Section U · Evolution and distribution of galaxies › Topic U.5
Formation and evolution of galaxies and structure
The young universe was astonishingly smooth, yet today it is full of galaxies, clusters, filaments and voids. The leading explanation can be summed up in three words: dark matter, gravity and time.
In this topic
- From smooth to lumpy
- Gravity amplifies small differences
- Why dark matter is needed
- Worked example: can the ripples grow in time?
- Bottom-up growth
- Worked example: denser clumps collapse first
- How elliptical galaxies formed
- How spirals formed
- Testing the picture
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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