Astronomy:Cosmological decade

Short description: Division of the lifetime of the cosmos

A cosmological decade (CÐ) is a division of the lifetime of the cosmos. The divisions are logarithmic in size, with base 10. Each successive cosmological decade represents a ten-fold increase in the total age of the universe.

As expressed in log (seconds per Ðecade)

When CÐ is measured in log( seconds/Р), CР1 begins at 10 seconds and lasts 90 seconds (until 100 seconds after Time Zero). CР100, the 100th cosmological decade, lasts from 10¹⁰⁰ to 10¹⁰¹ seconds after Time Zero. CР[math]\displaystyle{ -\infty }[/math] is Time Zero.

The epoch CР−43.2683 was 10^(−43.2683) seconds, which represents the Planck time since the Big Bang (Time Zero). There were an infinite number of cosmological decades between the Big Bang and the Planck epoch (or any other point in time). The current epoch, CР17.6389, is 10^(17.6389) seconds, or 13.799(21) billion years, since the Big Bang. There have been 60.9 cosmological decades between the Planck epoch, CР−43.2683, and the current epoch, CР17.6389.

As expressed in log (years per Ðecade)

The cosmological decade can be expressed in log years per decade. In this definition, the 100th cosmological decade lasts from 10¹⁰⁰ years to 10¹⁰¹ years after Time Zero. To convert to this format, simply divide by seconds per year; or in logarithmic terms, subtract 7.4991116 from the values listed above. Thus when CÐ is expressed in log( years/Ð ), the Planck time could also be expressed as 10^{(−43.2683 − 7.4991116)} years = 10^(−50.7674) years.

In this definition, the current epoch is CÐ (17.6355 − 7.4991116), or CР10.1364. As before, there have been 60.9 cosmological decades between the Planck epoch and the current epoch.

In theories of physical cosmology, the history of the universe can be segmented into five eras:

Age	Ðecades	Process
Primordial	−50 to +5	from the Planck time until universe becomes transparent to radiation
Stelliferous	6 to 14	stars shine brightly (our current epoch is +10.1364)
Degenerate	15 to 37	stars degenerate, get dimmer
Black Hole	38 to 99	stars evaporate, galactic black holes evaporate
Dark Era	100 onward	lone protons and other particles get even farther and farther apart from each other