爱因斯坦与宇宙常量

1917年，爱因斯坦发表了他的关于整个宇宙时空结构的理论——广义相对论。同时，他猜想宇宙是静止的，但是他的广义相对论方程的解却是时间的函数，也就是说，从广义相对论方程来看，宇宙是运动的，为了解决这一矛盾，爱因斯坦在方程中增加了新的一项——宇宙常数项，修改了他的方程。可是后来的天文学研究发现宇宙其实不是静止的，而是向外膨胀的，爱因斯坦很后悔在方程中增加了宇宙常数项，他也因此非常遗憾地错过了预言宇宙的膨胀。     

宇宙常数与蛀洞

 在物理学的发展中,理论与观测之间的尖锐矛盾往往能启发人们更深刻地认识自然界,并以此为线索创立新理论.但是,长时间以来,宇宙常数的理论预言与观测之间的矛盾却给物理学的研究带来巨大的困惑.宇宙常数是爱因斯坦解广义相对论方程时引入的.     

关于宇宙学常数问题的知识要点和几点思考

大爆炸宇宙学告诉我们,宇宙正在膨胀。如果我们的宇宙主要包含的是基本粒子型物质,那么宇宙将是减速膨胀。但是,对于今天我们观测到的宇宙来说,发现它在最近过去的几十亿年间却在加速膨胀!这预示着,宇宙中的主要能量形态不是基本粒子型物质,而是某种新的能量形态。对这种“新的”能量形态,其实科学家早有察觉和分析。它的最简单的可能性就是宇宙学常数。然而宇宙学常数的物理本质和内容却并不简单。这篇短文,就是主要介绍了宇宙学常数的一些基本知识和我们对它的一些思考。爱因斯坦方程中最自然出现的一项是宇宙学常数(简称cc)项,cc的值任意…     

霍金的开放宇宙新理论

２０世纪的天文观测表明，宇宙正处于膨胀的演化过程中．在时间上往过去反推，人们估计在１００多亿年前宇宙是处于极其紧致极其炽热的所谓大爆炸奇性的状态．宇宙的演化必须服从爱因斯坦引力场方程．但是不同的初始状态会导致不同的演化．大爆炸奇性从何而来或者宇宙从何...     

狭义相对论的欧氏假定与暗宇宙的启示

本文分析爱因斯坦相对论中关于一类没有相对运动的惯性系中刚性量杆的欧氏假定，以及相对性原理与宇宙学问的不协调。简单介绍我国学者提出的德西特不变的相对论，以及由暗宇宙启示的马赫原理。该相对论提供一个加速膨胀的观测宇宙所渐近趋向的模型。这里，不存在相对性原理与宇宙学问的不协调，存在一类相对于宇宙背景静止的优越惯性系，3维宇宙空间是闭的，宇宙常数起到惯性运动起源的作用。同时，这个模型提供观测宇宙的熵界，与全息原理的猜测一致，当曲率半径趋于无限时，这类优越惯性系仍然存在，不完全是爱因斯坦狭义相对论。     

惯性原理及其宇宙起源(下)

 四、常曲率空时惯性原理及其宇宙学意义常曲率空时相对性原理和德西特不变的相对论如何面对暗宇宙的尖锐挑战?为什么我们的宇宙在加速膨胀,一定不渐近平坦,而很可能具有一个正的极小宇宙常数,渐近于德西特空时?而按照通常的处理,德西特空时却带来一系列疑难;极小而又为正的宇宙常数也带来极大困惑。通行的看法是把宇宙常数等同于量子理论中“真空”的能量。可是,这样得到的宇宙常数值比观测值大了一百二十几个量级;考虑种种可能修正、包括超对称等等,也还要大几十个量级。理论与观测之间如此大的差别,前所未有。根本问题出在哪里?通常的作法是考虑种种动力学模型、修改引力场方程,甚至借助量子引力等等。     

实验室中一个膨胀的宇宙

正玻色—爱因斯坦凝聚体的快速膨胀可以模拟宇宙的膨胀。冷原子可以用来模拟多种物理系统,这些系统难以从实验角度加以研究,例如:超固体、超导体或黑洞。现在,马里兰大学帕克学院的Gretchen Campbell和同事们已经表明,玻色—爱因斯坦凝聚体(BEC)的快速膨胀显示了几个特征,让人想起了表征膨胀宇宙的     

为什么宇宙学常数如此之小

1916年,爱因斯坦给出广义相对论场方程 其中R,g和丁分别是曲率、度规和能量-动量 张量,G是牛顿引力常数.然而,此方程不存在 静态宇宙解.在当时,宇宙的哈勃膨胀尚未被 观测到,爱因斯坦更倾向宇宙的静态模型.因 此,他在场方程左边又加上一项gμνλ,并把新引 入的未定参数L称为宇宙学常数.若λ为正,相 当于引入一等效于排斥力的项,它和引力的吸 引相抵消,使得有可能存在静态宇学解.当 星系红移测量表明宇宙并非静态之后,爱因斯 坦曾给韦尔写信说,如果字宙并非静态就去掉 宇宙学项. 可是,从现代量子场论看来,宇宙项很难去 掉.实际上,在场方程…     

暗能量的理论模型

将现有文献中存在的暗能量模型(严格的说是指解释现在宇宙的加速膨胀模型)分为三类. 第一类是将宇宙加速归因为在宇宙尺度上广义相对论的修改; 第二类是由于宇宙微扰的反作用或宇宙非均匀性的作用; 第三类为宇宙中存在的一类奇异能量成分, 它出现在爱因斯坦方程的右边. 对每一类模型, 举了几个例子, 并给以一些评述.     

宇宙中的幽灵――暗物质

爱因斯坦曾经有一句名言：“宇宙最不可理解的是它竟然是可以理解的!”自从爱因斯坦写下他的可以理解宇宙的方程以及做出关于“宇宙是可以理解的”这个惊异的发现至今已有近一百年。     

Physical implications of the cosmological constant

The contribution of the quantum vacuum to the energy-momentum stress tensor in Einstein's field equations is very large. The observed cosmos is not in agreement with such a large term; thus, we require the presence of a cosmological constant to cancel this term. We discuss why this constant cannot originate from a quantum field or the gravitational field. We propose that this constant is physical evidence of the structure of space. The physical structure of space gives space an existence independent of the existence of matter and radiation.     

第五讲暗能量和德西特时空

最近的天文观测表明，宇宙是在加速膨胀，而不是原来认为的减速膨胀．为解释加速膨胀，必须在宇宙的物质能量中引入暗能量这一成分，文章讨论了暗能量的可能侯选者，特别强调了宇宙常数问题、德西特时空问题以及和德西特时空相关的一些基本问题．     

A cosmological model with negative energy photons

According to recent investigations of states of quantum fields, we postulate that there exist negative energy photons in the universe. With this assumption, we find a solution of Einstein's equation without introducing the cosmological constant. A new and sizable type Ia supernovae sample is employed to perform a fit with our model and the conventional model. Both models can well account for the current type Ia supernovae observation and they are not distinguishable. With the new model, the cause of the accelerated expansion of the universe and the mechanism of the negative pressure existing in outer space can be explained in ordinary physical terms.     

Experimental signatures of cosmological neutrino condensation

Superfluid condensation of neutrinos of cosmological origin at a low enough temperature can provide simple and elegant solution to the problems of neutrino oscillations and the accelerated expansion of the universe. It would give rise to a late time cosmological constant of small magnitude and also generate tiny masses for the neutrinos as observed from their flavor oscillations. We show that carefully prepared beta decay experiments in the laboratory would carry signatures of such a condensation, and thus, it would be possible to either establish or rule out neutrino condensation of cosmological scale in laboratory experiments.     

Solution to the Cosmological Constant Problem by Gauge Theory of Gravity

Based on geometry picture of gravitational gauge theory, the cosmological constant is determined theoreti-cally. The cosmological constant is related to the average energy density of gravitational gauge field. Because the energydensity of gravitational gauge field is negative, the cosmological constant is positive, which generates repulsive force onstars to make the expansion rate of the Universe accelerated. A rough estimation of it gives out its magnitude of theorder of about 10-52m-2, which is well consistent with experimental results.     

Solution to the Cosmological Constant Problem by Gauge Theory of Gravity

Based on geometry picture of gravitational gauge theory, the cosmological constant is determined theoreti-cally. The cosmological constant is related to the average energy density of gravitational gauge field. Because the energy density of gravltatlona] gauge field is negative, the cosmological constant is positive, which generates repulasive force on stars to make the expansion rate of the Universe accelerated. A rough estimation of it gives out its magnitude of the order of about 10^52m^-2, which is well consistent with experimental results.     

A Theory of Evolving Natural Constants Based on the Unification of General Theory of Relativity and Dirac''s Large Number Hypothesis

Taking Dirac's large number hypothesis as true, we have shown [Commun. Theor. Phys. (Beijing, China) 42 (2004) 703] the inconsistency of applying Einstein's theory of general relativity with fixed gravitation constant G to cosmology, and a modified theory for varying G is found, which reduces to Einstein's theory outside the gravitating body for phenomena of short duration in small distances, thereby agrees with all the crucial tests formerly supporting Einstein's theory. The modified theory, when applied to the usual homogeneous cosmological model, gives rise to a variable cosmological tensor term determined by the derivatives of G, in place of the cosmological constant term usually introduced ad hoc. Without any free parameter the theoretical Hubble's relation obtained from the modified theory seems not in contradiction to observations, as Dr. Wang's preliminary analysis of the recent data indicates [Commun. Theor. Phys. (Beijing, China) 42 (2004) 703]. As a complement to Commun. Theor. Phys. (Beijing, China) 42 (2004) 703 we shall study in this paper the modification of electromagnetism due to Dirac's large number hypothesis in more detail to show that the approximation of geometric optics still leads to null geodesics for the path of light, and that the general relation between the luminosity distance and the proper geometric distance is still valid in our theory as in Einstein's theory, and give the equations for homogeneous cosmological model involving matter plus electromagnetic radiation. Finally we consider the impact of the modification to quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics, and arrive at a systematic theory of evolving natural constants including Planck's ħ as well as Boltzmann's k_B by finding out their cosmologically combined counterparts with factors of appropriate powers of G that may remain truly constant to cosmologically long time.     

Filtering out the cosmological constant in the Palatini formalism of modified gravity

According to theoretical physics the cosmological constant (CC) is expected to be much larger in magnitude than other energy densities in the universe, which is in stark contrast to the observed Big Bang evolution. We address this old CC problem not by introducing an extremely fine-tuned counterterm, but in the context of modified gravity in the Palatini formalism. In our model the large CC term is filtered out, and it does not prevent a standard cosmological evolution. We discuss the filter effect in the epochs of radiation and matter domination as well as in the asymptotic de Sitter future. The final expansion rate can be much lower than inferred from the large CC without using a fine-tuned counterterm. Finally, we show that the CC filter works also in the Kottler (Schwarzschild-de Sitter) metric describing a black hole environment with a CC compatible to the future de Sitter cosmos.     

The Cosmological Constant in the Framework of Gravito-Magnetodynamic Waves in Weak Gravitational Fields

Using the linearization of Einstein's equations for weak gravitational fields, a specific model of gravito-magnetofluid is elaborated. The study of wave formation and propagation in such a medium is necessarily connected to the existence of the cosmological constant.