The Big Bang theory of cosmic evolution postulates the universe had its beginnings as a hot infinitely dense expanding environment. Using this assumption scientists have been able to successful explain and predict many of the observed properties of our universe including the relative abundance of the elements and the formation of galactic clusters.
However, they have had considerable difficulty explaining why different regions of the universe have nearly the same temperature and other physical properties. This is a problem because information can only be exchanged at the speed of light and the Big Bang model indicates the separation between different regions of space would have been too large to allow enough time for information to be exchanged between them. Therefore, because they evolved independently from each other they should have different properties. This inconsistency between theory and observations is what cosmologists call the Horizon Problem.
In 1980 Alan Guth, Andrei Linde, Paul Steinhardt, and Andy Albrecht proposed a modification to the big bang theory which appeared to provide a solution by postulating a short 10 − 32 second period of exponential expansion (dubbed “inflation”) within the first minute or so of the universe’s existence. During inflation, the universe would have increased in size by an enormous factor.
If correct, inflation solves the horizon problem by suggesting that prior to the inflationary period the entire universe was extremely small and therefore each point was causally connected. It was during this period, according to its proponents the physical properties of the universe evened out. Inflation then caused its volume to increase to the point where different parts were too far apart to allow their properties to interact. This essentially froze any irregularities and prevented them from being “smoothed out” which according to this theoretical model explains why the universe appears to be almost, but not perfectly homogeneous. In other words they assume the solution to the horizon problem is the fact that in the modern era distant areas in the sky appear to be unconnected causally, but they were in the past because they were much closer together.
However, there is no observational basis for defining what caused this rapid inflation to begin or end. Therefore, some say it is an “ADHOC” or contrived explanation of a flaw in original the Big Bang Theory.
Another problem with the inflationary concept is made evident by the fact that our universe is not homogenous because observations tell us it contains large-scale structures such as galactic clusters.
This presents another problem for its proponents because, as mentioned earlier the reason Alan Guth proposed it was to explain why the universe was homogeneous.
This is why they had to add the passage “This essentially froze any irregularities and prevented them from being “smoothed out” ” to its description to “force” it to agree with the observation that it is not.
The only problem with this is that they have been unable to define what caused these initial irregularities to occur.
Some have theorized that quantum fluctuations or a temporary change in the amount of energy in space, arising from Werner Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle may be responsible. But here again there is no observational evidence to support this claim.
In other words an “ADHOC” theory was created to explain why the universe is homogeneous must be modified by another “ADHOC” or abstract theoretical construct to explain why it is not. (ADHOC in the sense that neither have a foundation in experimental or observational science.)
Physics as the name implies is the science that deals with physical properties matter, energy, motion, and force. Therefore the primary vehicle to guide our understanding of our universe should be the “reality” of the observable properties of matter energy, motion and force to develop theories of its origin and not the unobservable properties of an inflation field.
For example observations tell us our universe is expanding.
As mentioned earlier proponents of the Big bang explain this by assuming the energy driving its expansion was created in a tremendously hot dense environment. Yet they are unable to tell us where the energy came from to create that environment. Therefore they must assume that it was created out nothing which would be a violation of the law of conservation of energy/mass.
However, there is another explanation for the origin of our expanding universe which is not, as was shown in the article “The Return of the Big Bang” Jan. 15, 2008 based on the unobservable properties of an inflation field , does not violate any of the accepted physical laws of physics, and can be derived from direct observations of our environment.
We know from observations the equation E=mc^2 defines the equivalence between mass and energy in an environment and since mass is associated with the attractive properties of gravity it also tells us, because of this equivalence, the kinetic energy associated with the universe’s expansion also possess those attractive properties. However the law of conservation of energy/mass tells us that in a closed system the creation of kinetic energy cannot exceed the gravitational energy associated with the total energy/mass in the universe and that a reduction in one must be compensated for by an increase in the other
Therefore the total gravitation potential of the universe must increase as it expands and cools approaching a maximum value at absolute “0” while at the same time the kinetic energy of its expansive components must decrease. Therefore, at some point in time, the universe it will enter a contractive phase because the total gravitational potential must eventually exceed the kinetic energy of its expansion. This is would be true even though the gravitational potential of its Kinetic energy components would be disturbed or “diluted” by a factor of c^2.
(Many physicists would disagree because recent observations suggest that a force called Dark energy is causing the expansion of the universe accelerate. Therefore they believe that its expansion will continue forever. However, as was shown in the article “Dark Energy and the evolution of the universe” Oct. 1, 2012 if one assumes the law of conservation of mass/energy is valid, as we have done here than the gravitational contractive properties of its mass equivalent will eventually have to exceed its expansive energy because as mentioned earlier kinetic energy also possess gravitational potential therefore there will be constant force opposing this accelerated expansion. Therefore the gravitational potential of Dark Energy must slow the rate of the acceleration and eventually allow gravity to take over and cause the universe to enter a contractive phase. There can be no other conclusion if one accepts the validity of the laws of thermodynamics and Einstein General Theory of Relativity.)
The rate of contraction will increase until the momentum of the galaxies, planets, components of the universe equals the radiation pressure generated by the heat of that contraction.
At some point in time the total kinetic energy of the universe would be equal to the total mass equivalent of that energy or E=mc^2, where “E” equals the total Kinetic energy content of the universe and “m” equals the total mass content of the universe. From this point on the velocity of the contraction will slow due to the radiation pressure generated by the heat of its contraction and be maintained by the momentum associated with the remaining mass component of the universe.
However, after a certain point in time the radiation pressure generated by it will become great enough to ionize its mass component and to cause it to reexpand.
Yet at some point in future the contraction phase will begin again because as mentioned earlier its kinetic energy cannot exceed the gravitational energy associated with its mass/energy equivalent.
Since the universe is a closed system, the amplitude of the expansions and contractions will remain constant because the law of conservation of mass/energy dictates that in a closed system it remains constant.
This results in the universe experiencing in a never-ending cycle of expansions and contractions of equal magnitudes.
This would solve the horizon problem because the repeated cycles would allow different regions of the universe to mix and equalize thereby explaining why their temperature and other physical properties are almost identical.
This would be analogous to mixing the content of two cans of paint by pouring one into the other. The evenness of the mixture would increase in proportion to the number of times one pored one can into the other.
Similarly the evenness of the temperature distribution and physical properties of the universe would increase in proportion to the number of cycles it had gone through.
However it also explains why there are small temperature and other physical irregularities in the large-scale structure of the universe.
One cannot completely mix two different colors of paint no matter how many times they pour one can into another because the random motion of the different colored paint molecules means that some regions will have more of one color that the other.
Similarly the random motion of the baryonic matter in the universe means that some regions will have more matter or be denser that others no matter how many cycles of expansion or contraction it has undergone.
This explains why the large-scale structures such as galactic clusters exist.
Many cosmologists do not accept the cyclical scenario of expansion and contractions because they believe a collapsing universe would end in the formation of a singularity similar to the ones found in a black hole and therefore, it could not re-expand.
However, according to the first law of thermodynamic the universe would have to begin expanding before it reached a singularity because that law states that energy in an isolated system can neither be created nor destroyed
Therefore, because the universe is by definition an isolated system; the energy generated by its gravitational collapse cannot be radiated to another volume but must remain within it. This means the radiation pressure exerted by its collapse must eventually exceed momentum of its contraction and the universe would have to enter an expansion phase. The mass/energy of the universe will oscillate around a point in space because its momentum will carry it beyond the equilibrium point were the radiation pressure was equal to its gravitational contractive component.
This would be analogous to the how momentum of a mass on a spring causes it spring to stretch beyond its equilibrium point resulting it osculating around it.
There can be no other interoperation if one assumes the validity of the first law of thermodynamics which states that the total energy of the universe is defined by the mass and the momentum of its components. Therefore, when one decreases the other must increase which means the universe must oscillate around a point in three-dimensional space.
The reason a singularity can form in black hole is because it is not an isolate system therefore the thermal radiation associated with its collapse can be radiated into the surrounding space. Therefore, its collapse can continue because momentum of its mass can exceed the radiation pressure cause by its collapse in the volume surrounding a black hole.
As mentioned earlier the heat generated by the collapse of the universe would raise the temperature to a point where electrons would be strip off all matter and it would become ionized, making it opaque to radiation. It would remain that way until it entered the expansion phase and cooled enough to allow matter to recapture and hold on to them. This Age of Recombination, as cosmologists like to call it is when the Cosmic Background Radiation was emitted.
One could quantify this scenario by using the first law of thermodynamics to calculate the how long it would take for the radiation pressure generated by the gravitational collapse of the universe to become large enough to cause it to expand and determine if it would allow enough time for different regions to be causally connected to the point where it could explain Horizon Problem and why there are small variations homogeneous structure. Additionally one could determine if the heat generate by that collapse would be great enough to ionize its mass component enough to explain the properties of the cosmic background radiation.
It should be noted that this derivation of the universe’s origin, its temperature and matter distribution does provide an observational method for verification or falsification because it relies exclusively the accepted laws of physics and on interoperation of physical observations and not as is the case with the inflation model on abstract creations of human intellect.
Later Jeff
Copyright Jeffrey O’Callaghan 2011