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whatzzupboy
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what makes the boarder of a universe and why and can it change shapes and size
According to this article, the furthest point in space from which light has had time to reach us would currently be about 78 billion light-years away (although of course it wasn't that far away at the time the light was actually emitted).chroot said:The observable universe has no real "border." The "edge" of the universe is just defined as the furthest distance from which light has had time to reach us. It's about 47 billion light-years away.
- Warren
whatzzupboy said:what makes the boarder of a universe and why and can it change shapes and size
No, you were right. In an universe with OL = 0.73, Om = 0.27 and H0 = 71, the (theoretical) radius of the observable universe is equal to 46 Gly.chroot said:Oops, I guess I remembered the wrong number -- or perhaps the right number, but for the wrong question.
- Warren
Dear Chronos: To you, I am inherently unobservable. I promise you that I exist. The fact that you cannot see me does not negate my existence, nor make my existence less meaningful (at least to me!). I make this point for a reason:Chronos said:I just want to scrape my fingernails across the chalkboard every time I hear this argument. Eeeeek... the observable universe is the only universe that is scientifically relevant. Until we have a workable explanation of what is observed, the rest is meaningless. I agree all things are possible. I do not agree things that are inherently unobservable are meaningful.
How is that? Every other observer in this universe sees exactly the same thing.turbo-1 said:Dear Chronos:
If we decide that the visible universe is the only valid framework for scientific inquiry, and that no inference can be made about the extent or nature of the of the universe as a whole because we cannot see past our surface of last scattering, THAT particular choice confers upon us a "special" frame of reference.
What other universe is 'fair game'? What does SR have to do with that?turbo-1 said:The idea that only the visible universe is fair game for scientific inquiry is a Special Relativity view of the universe.
What problems?turbo-1 said:It will give us problems, though, when we try to address the GR/FRW universe of the standard model. The concepts of simultaniety and "no special reference frame" are central to cosmology. They allow cosmologists to envision overlapping light cones, estimate the present size of the visible universe based on apparent lookback time and expansion rate, etc.
I don't think it is relevant to this discussion, but, I see no conflict between SR and GR. Please explain what GR predictions conflict with SR.turbo-1 said:Our recent exchange on this (see post 41 and follow-ups) probably highlights the differences between the SR view and the GR/FRW view as well as can be expected.
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=60934&page=3&pp=15
turbo said:If we decide that the visible universe is the only valid framework for scientific inquiry, and that no inference can be made about the extent or nature of the of the universe as a whole because we cannot see past our surface of last scattering, THAT particular choice confers upon us a "special" frame of reference.
If you consider the reference frame of a theoretical observer presently existing in a galaxy that we can see at the edge of our detectable limit (about 13Gly away), you will see that over half of his observable universe lies outside of our observable universe. To say that our observable universe is the only universe that is scientifically relevant...Chronos said:How is that? Every other observer in this universe sees exactly the same thing.
is to deny the validity of the reference frame of the distant observer.Chronos said:Eeeeek... the observable universe is the only universe that is scientifically relevant.
turbo said:The idea that only the visible universe is fair game for scientific inquiry is a Special Relativity view of the universe.
The universe, as envisioned by most cosmologists, includes the condition of simultaneity, which allow us to consider the reference frames of theoretical distant observers as equivalent to our own. In SR, gauging the simultaneity of events is not possible, and it is possible to get trapped into characterizing the distant observer's reference frame based on whether or not he can communicate with us, and how long the communication would take, etc.Chronos said:What other universe is 'fair game'? What does SR have to do with that?
turbo said:It will give us problems, though, when we try to address the GR/FRW universe of the standard model. The concepts of simultaneity and "no special reference frame" are central to cosmology. They allow cosmologists to envision overlapping light cones, estimate the present size of the visible universe based on apparent lookback time and expansion rate, etc.
For example, the problem of considering only our visible universe (with its limitations arising from our position and the speed of light) as the only "real" universe worthy of scientific inquiry.Chronos said:What problems?
turbo said:Our recent exchange on this (see post 41 and follow-ups) probably highlights the differences between the SR view and the GR/FRW view as well as can be expected.
https://www.physicsforums.com/showth...34&page=3&pp=15
Here is a fairly illuminating exchange regarding the conflicts that can arise if we insist on applying SR's "no simultaneity" to the GR/FRW universe.Chronos said:I don't think it is relevant to this discussion, but, I see no conflict between SR and GR. Please explain what GR predictions conflict with SR.
The above exchange (additional comments in parentheses) arose from a proof I gave that a flat or open FRW universe must be infinite (unless we impose a non-trivial topography on it). If I am not mistaken, each of the objections you raised to the proof was based on the SR notion of "no simultaneity" and the insistence on communication to validate the reference frame of the theoretical presently-existing distant observer.post #44 from thread linked above said:turbo:
Now for the logical proof:
Choose a quasar or galaxy at an apparent distance of 13Gly. Given the concordance assumptions of homogeneity, isotropy, and no special frame of reference, what can we say with certainty about a theoretical observer "B" who exists at that distant position right NOW?
Chronos:
We can say that observer B's 'now', is in our future.
turbo:
1. Since the universe is homogeneous and isotropic, and because "B's" frame of reference is no more or less special than ours, our theoretical observer looks out at his universe and sees a universe that is identical in its basic qualities to the one we see. He sees his own neighborhood, and due to the finite speed of light, he sees distant objects as they appeared in the past.
Chronos:
He sees distant objects as they appeared to be in his past, not ours.
(we are certainly in agreement, here - turbo)
turbo:
Like us, he can only see objects out to about 13 billion light years distant.
Chronos:
Incorrect. Observer B's universe is younger and smaller.
(Oops! Suddenly observer B's present visible universe has shrunk because WE perceive him to be in our past?? We do not have a special reference frame and cannot invalidate his reference frame by imposing the limitations of ours on him. - turbo)
turbo:
and he is looking at his surface of last scattering, just like we look out at our own. Just like us, "B" has a visible universe about 27 billion light years in diameter.
Chronos:
By the time we receive observer B's report on the size of the universe, it will be 12 billion years older than we perceive it to be.
(We do not need for him to report to us in order to posit the validity of his reference frame. We can assume that an observer presently existing at location B will exist in a universe that is just as valid as our own and shares the same essential features. - turbo)
turbo:
We are on one edge of his visible universe, just as he is on one edge of our visible universe.
Chronos:
But we are in his future and he is in our past. There is no simultaneity.
Marcus said:no professional community is completely consistent in every detail of every claim. You have to pick whom to listen to.
Instead of Special Relativity preachers,
try listening to cosmologists instead
there is an idea of simultaneity in cosmology
and an idea of universal rest frame
A universal meaning is given to the present moment
by means of the FRW metric which they all use
as their standard distance-measure (Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric)
cosmology uses General Relativity which is different from Special Rel.
The space of SR does not expand. there is no way of defining absolute rest or simultaneity in it. But SR is also not quite realistic, being unable to expand and contract, so when people preach Special Rel sermons and maintain there is no idea of simultaneity, it has a limited applicability.
In cosmology (with the Friedmann model) you can say what it means to be at rest. At rest with respect to the expansion of the universe.
And you can define simultaneous events at widely separated points.
the FRW metric is not 100 percent accurate but it is a heck of a lot more accurate and closer to reality than the Minkowski metric of SR.
Ned Wright and Charles Lineweaver are two worldclass cosmologists.
Try google with their names. Wright has a website tutorial on cosmology and Lineweaver has at least one good article with clear diagrams and not-to-hard formulas. There are a bunch of others. Sean Carroll, Eric Linder, Michael Turner. I don't know the best to recommend but if you stick close to reputable working cosmologists and keep away from people popularizing Special Rel then you can probably avoid the worst confutatuses.
Not only possible, but required, if we live in a BB universe with accelerating expansion. Galaxies will be redshifted into the cosmic microwave background and become undetectable, beginning with the most distant ones.Mike2 said:Isn't it possible that galaxy "B" that we observer to be 13Gly away and in the past is now so far away that it is racing away from us faster than light so that we will never see what it is like at the present moment? Isn't this most likely the case since the expansion is accelerating?
The galaxies are not crossing a real boundary. Each observer in an accelerating BB universe will have his/her/its own visible universe, each perceiving (given enough time) that more distant objects are being red-shifted into undetectability. These visible universes may or may not overlap, and have no real boundary. The "boundary" is merely an observational limitation faced by each observer.Mike2 said:If distant galaxies are leaving behind a cosmological event horizon, then what does that say about the entropy/information content of the observable universe?
Is anybody giving serious consideration the idea that there is an "information budget" for each observer's visible universe that somehow has to be conserved? I haven't heard that one before, nor the idea that the universe started to expand when life arose on Earth. Do you have links or references? (I'm spoiled by the Internet, obviously. )Mike2 said:Perhaps it is more than a coincidence that the universe started to expand about the same time that life arose. Perhaps the complexity of life is compensation for information disappearing behind the cosmological event horizon. What do you think? Thanks.
turbo-1 said:Not only possible, but required, if we live in a BB universe with accelerating expansion. Galaxies will be redshifted into the cosmic microwave background and become undetectable, beginning with the most distant ones.
...
Is anybody giving serious consideration the idea that there is an "information budget" for each observer's visible universe that somehow has to be conserved? I haven't heard that one before, nor the idea that the universe started to expand when life arose on Earth. Do you have links or references? (I'm spoiled by the Internet, obviously. )
When I do that, I get lots of Dembski links. I encourage everyone to try this once, and get it out your systems. Pure crap. Remember the name.Mike2 said:Google... "conservation of information"
I think his method might be flawed. But the question still remains. To repeat myself:turbo-1 said:When I do that, I get lots of Dembski links. I encourage everyone to try this once, and get it out your systems. Pure crap. Remember the name.
If black holes didn't evaporate through Hawking radiation, then there would be no information loss paradox, because you could assume the information was still present, but just hidden behind the horizon. There's no Hawking radiation with cosmological event horizons, and we're certainly never going to see the rest of the universe beyond the horizon evaporate away to nothing, so again, no information loss paradox.Mike2 said:What difference is there between disappearing behind the event horizon of a black hole and disappearing behind the cosmological event horizon? Both have objects being accelerated so fast that we lose all contact with it. So if we have concerns about where the information of objects go when it falls into a black hole, then I would assume that there must be the same concerns about objects falling behind the cosmological event horizon as well.
Not if there are an infinite number of observers in different locations, each seeing their observable universe as being the same size.Chronos said:Let me try a different approach. A universe that is observationally finite to all observers may be huge, but still finite. An endless sum of finite quantities is still finite.
Chronos said:Let's say I get on a bus. The bus next stops at NYC, and I get off. How many miles did I travel? How long have I been on the bus? Do my questions even make any sense?
This article states that cosmological event horizons do contrain the information in the universe. So as the cosmological event horizon gets smaller with acceleration, the potential information loss is getting smaller and smaller. It also states that there is a Hawking radiation associated with this cosmological event horizon.JesseM said:If black holes didn't evaporate through Hawking radiation, then there would be no information loss paradox, because you could assume the information was still present, but just hidden behind the horizon. There's no Hawking radiation with cosmological event horizons, and we're certainly never going to see the rest of the universe beyond the horizon evaporate away to nothing, so again, no information loss paradox.
Dembski is a creationist crackpot, by the way. Read this for a nice refutation of his arguments.
It would seem from this paper that the entropy inside the universe is calculated by the area of the cosmological event horizon (CEH). This is the same formula as that used for the black hole event horizon. The articles states that there is not nearly enough entropy in the universe as the emount restricted by the area of the CEH. It would seem, though, that some are suggesting that space-time itself has entropy. And I have to wonder if the entropy of space-time within the volume of the CEH was included in this calculation.Mike2 said:This article states that cosmological event horizons do contrain the information in the universe. So as the cosmological event horizon gets smaller with acceleration, the potential information loss is getting smaller and smaller. It also states that there is a Hawking radiation associated with this cosmological event horizon.
http://www.arxiv.org/multi?archive=...sses&subj_physics=-->+physics+subject+classes
As far as I know the entropy of a Hawking horizon is purely gravitational. A black hole is a vacuum solution (without matter) in general relativity. Although gravitational entropy seams not to be well defined, the black hole entropy arises after identifying some gravitational equations with the laws of thermodynamics for matter. The same should be valid for a cosmological horizon.Mike2 said:It would seem from this paper that the entropy inside the universe is calculated by the area of the cosmological event horizon (CEH). This is the same formula as that used for the black hole event horizon. The articles states that there is not nearly enough entropy in the universe as the emount restricted by the area of the CEH. It would seem, though, that some are suggesting that space-time itself has entropy. And I have to wonder if the entropy of space-time within the volume of the CEH was included in this calculation.
A short time ago I have learned that the cosmological solution is indistinguishable from a white hole solution for distancies less than the Hubble radius. So, somehow, yes. Joel Smoller and Blake Temple have several interesting papers on this issue, see e.g. "Cosmology, Black Holes and Shock Waves Beyond the Hubble Length" http://arxiv.org/math-ph/0302036Mike2 said:I have another question. It would seem that there are very similar effects in both black hole horizons and cosmological event horizons. As objects approach both, they get redshifted and freeze as we observe their time slow down. So I have to wonder if there is not a gravitational field that can be associated with the CEH just as there is for the event horizon of a black hole. Could not such a gravitational field of the CEH be responsible for the accelerated expansion of the universe? In past epocs, it may have been that galaxies were so dense that the gravity between galaxies was stronger than a gravity from the CEH so that the expansion decelerated at that time. But now it might be that intergalatic gravity might not be as strong as that from a CEH so that the expansion accelerates. What do you think?
But the "information loss" here presumably just involves the information becoming inaccessible to us, like when matter falls into a black hole--as long as the information still exists in some other region of the universe, there is no conflict with the unitary evolution of QM. But when a black hole evaporates, there would seem to be no region of the universe where the information that was in it can continue to exist--if true, this would be a more fundamental type of "information loss" which would be in conflict with QM, and that's what people are talking about when they refer to the "black hole information paradox". I don't think there's any analogue of this with cosmological horizons, because the universe continues to exist outside of our cosmological horizon for just as long as we do, unlike the region inside a black hole.Mike2 said:This article states that cosmological event horizons do contrain the information in the universe. So as the cosmological event horizon gets smaller with acceleration, the potential information loss is getting smaller and smaller. It also states that there is a Hawking radiation associated with this cosmological event horizon.
In both cases, BH's and Cosmo Event Horizon, objects allegedly still exist somewhere, though not "accessible" to us. I have to think that the information loss is due to the fact that some causal link is severed once it disappear behind the horizon. Is there any study about the link between entropy and causality?JesseM said:But the "information loss" here presumably just involves the information becoming inaccessible to us, like when matter falls into a black hole--as long as the information still exists in some other region of the universe, there is no conflict with the unitary evolution of QM. But when a black hole evaporates, there would seem to be no region of the universe where the information that was in it can continue to exist--if true, this would be a more fundamental type of "information loss" which would be in conflict with QM, and that's what people are talking about when they refer to the "black hole information paradox". I don't think there's any analogue of this with cosmological horizons, because the universe continues to exist outside of our cosmological horizon for just as long as we do, unlike the region inside a black hole.
Not if the black hole shrinks down to nothing as Hawking radiation escapes it, and the Hawking radiation itself is completely random. That's the source of the "black hole information loss paradox"--again, information loss does not just refer to information becoming inaccessible, like when a galaxy crosses our cosmological event horizon, it refers specifically to what happens when a black hole evaporates via Hawking radiation. Some physicists seem to think the resolution of the paradox is that Hawking radiation is not truly random, that one way or another it manages to encode the information that disappeared over the horizon...there may be other types of proposals as well, I'm not sure.Mike2 said:In both cases, BH's and Cosmo Event Horizon, objects allegedly still exist somewhere, though not "accessible" to us.
The "boarder" of the universe is a common misspelling of the term "border" of the universe. The border of the universe refers to the edge or boundary of the observable universe, which is the portion of the universe that we can see and study.
The border of the universe is not a physical object or structure that is made by something. It is simply the limit of our ability to observe and study the universe. The border is constantly expanding as the universe itself expands.
Yes, the border of the universe can change as the universe itself expands. This expansion is driven by dark energy, a mysterious force that is causing the universe to accelerate in its expansion. As the universe expands, the border will also expand, making more of the universe visible to us.
It is currently unknown if there is anything beyond the border of the universe. Our current understanding of the universe is limited to the observable universe, so we cannot say for certain what lies beyond the border. Some theories suggest that there may be multiple universes or a multiverse, but these are still speculative and have not been proven.
Scientists study the border of the universe by observing and analyzing the light and radiation that reaches us from distant galaxies and objects. This allows us to map out the shape and size of the observable universe and track its expansion. Scientists also use mathematical models and theories, such as the Big Bang theory, to understand the origins and behavior of the universe.