Cosmologists predict a static universe in 3 trillion years

When Dutch astronomer Willem de Sitter proposed a static model of the universe in the early 1900s, he was some 3 trillion years ahead of his time.

Now, physicists Lawrence Krauss from Case Western Reserve University and Robert J. Scherrer from Vanderbilt University predict that trillions of years into the future, the information that currently allows us to understand how the universe expands will have disappeared over the visible horizon. What remains will be "an island universe" made from the Milky Way and its nearby galactic Local Group neighbors in an overwhelmingly dark void.

The researchers’ article, "The Return of the Static Universe and the End of Cosmology," was awarded one of the top prizes for 2007 by the Gravity Research Foundation. It will be published in the October issue of the Journal of Relativity and Gravitation.

"While physicists of the future will be able to infer that their island universe has not been eternal, it is unlikely they will be able to infer that the beginning involved a Big Bang," report the researchers.

According to Krauss, since Edwin Hubble advanced his expanding universe observations in 1929, the "pillars of the modern Big Bang" have been built on measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation from the afterglow of the early universe formation, movement of galaxies away from the Local Group and evidence of the abundance of elements produced in the primordial universe, as well as theoretical inferences based on Einstein’s General Relativity Theory.

What appears almost as a story from science fiction, the cosmologists began to envision a universe based on "what ifs." Long after the demise of the solar system, it will be up to future physicists that arise from planets in other solar systems to fathom and unravel the mysteries of the system’s origins from their isolated universes dominated by dark energy.

But the irony of the presence of that abundant dark energy, the researchers report, is that future physicists will have no way to measure its presence because of a void in the gravitational dynamics of moving galaxies.

"We live in a special time in the evolution of the universe," stated the researchers, somewhat humorously: "The only time at which we can observationally verify that we live in a very special time in the evolution of the universe."

The researchers describe that modern cosmology is built on Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which requires an expanding or collapsing universe for a uniform density of matter. However, an isolated region can exist inside of an otherwise seemingly static universe

They next discuss implications for the detection of the cosmic microwave background that provide evidence of the baby pictures of an early universe.

That radiation will ‘red shift" to longer and longer frequencies, eventually becoming undetectable within our galaxy. Krauss said, "We literally will have no way to detect this radiation."

The researchers followed up that discussion with one tracking early elements like helium and deuterium produced in the Big Bang. They predict systems that allow us to detect primordial deuterium will be dispersed throughout the universe to become undetectable, while helium in concentrations of approximately 25 percent at the Big Bang will become indiscernible as stars will produce far more helium in the course of their lives to cloud the origins of the early universe.

"Eventually, the universe will appear static," said Krauss. "All evidence of modern cosmology will have disappeared."

Krauss closed with a comment that he suggested is implicit in the paper’s conclusions. "We may feel smug in that we can detect a host of things future civilizations will not know about, but by the same token, this suggests we wonder about what important aspects of the universe we ourselves may be missing. Thus, our results suggest a kind of a ‘cosmic humility’".

Source: Case Western Reserve University

   

• DikRoytman - Dec 05, 2007
  • Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
  THE UNIVERSE AS ILLUSION
  
  Let's define speed of distribution of gravitation. Two bodies are drawn with any force and to change her it is possible only change of distance between them - i.e. having displaced one of bodies - we shall cause change of force that will lead to to displacement of the second body, or, otherwise, displacing the first body - we create a gravitational wave, observing displacement of the second body - is registered her. However to change position of a body it is possible only with the help of the third body, changing simultaneously and his position - two gravitational waves compensating each other are created. Unique observable effect - resistance of a body to attempts to change his position.
  Let's consider our attempts a little differently. Gravitational interaction is carried out on the lines connecting the centers of weights, - let it there will be gravitational strings. What properties of them to give? We shall displace a body, from set of gravitational strings we shall choose two, strictly forward and back on a direction of movement. The first will be compressed, the second two zones - compression and under pressures will be stretched, will be dragged out, formed, and everyone aspires to return a body in an initial point. Having displaced a body, it is necessary to keep it while waves of compression and under pressure will not disperse on all length gravitational strings. But in the infinite flat universe it gives nothing - at any final speed of gravitation time of deduction indefinitely. We shall close the universe. Waves of compression and under pressure will swallow up each other, there is time of deduction - time of movement of a wave on a circle. Let time of movement a zero. Then the inert weight is instant gravitational reaction of the closed universe.
  Einstein has proved it more elegantly. If gravitation is a curvature of space the infinite straight line is closed - moving on by her, we shall return to an initial point. But to return to an initial point it is possible only during initial time, duration of such movement is equal to zero, speed is higher light and has forbidden the proof. Simply on has overlooked - to divide on a zero is impossible and instantly - is not faster, it is incommensurable with C.
  Idea of Newton, principle of the Mach, Einstein's proof - all for a long time is known, however some consequences can represent insignificant interest. So:
  
  
  The inert weight is instant gravitational reaction of the closed universe
  But if the space is closed, time also is closed
  But then the universe has no neither the beginnings, nor the end
  But then time of life U. is equal to zero
  But then at U. infinite set of lives
  But then they are not necessarily identical
  But then at everyone the set of interactions
  But then, probably, there is even one set of interactions closing space and time in infinity
  And all this simultaneously, i.e. develops.
  But then begins cinema - if the infinite set is virtual-lethal U. in the sum is given by a zero, infinite set identical, is virtual-immortal U., being imposed, create illusion real U.
  Illusion - any attempt to specify the microcosm device gives return result for on the one hand reduces density real U., and with another does visible reduction process to zero of the sum virtual, there are the interactions which do not have any rights on
  The fine idea of knowledge of the world generates phantoms - and what with them now to make?
  
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