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WMAP has conclusively proven an expanding universe. anyone care argue?
Chronos said:WMAP has conclusively proven an expanding universe. anyone care argue?
It's sure infuriating that this DM can't be characterised better than some of its bulk properties!turbo-1 said:It can be argued that we don't understand gravity well enough yet to model familiar objects like spiral galaxies without resorting to some tricks. It is well-demonstrated that the observable components of spiral galaxies do not conform to the expected rotational norms. We would expect very high rotational velocities near the core of the galaxy, decreasing smoothly with increasing radius. Instead, rotational velocity increases very sharply near the core of the galaxy, then flattens out, so the galactic arms appear to be rotating as if they were fixed on a solid disk.
To explain this anomalous rotation within the GR framework, cosmologists have postulated the existence of a huge cloud of dark matter around every such galaxy (perhaps 9-10 times as much mass as the visible part of the galaxy). Not only is the amount of necessary dark matter very large, it must be distributed in a manner that is not consistent with the distribution of the visible matter. This is a very large assumption. Conventional cosmologists allow this huge fudge factor to stand because it is necessary to protect the integrity of GR - a very sacred thing to the status quo. Explaining away anomalous observations with unproven (perhaps unprovable) assumptions is bad science, though. As Stevie Wonder says "When you believe in things that you don't understand, you will suffer."
WMAP stands for Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, a satellite designed to measure the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation. By analyzing the patterns in this radiation, scientists can gather information about the history and structure of the universe. WMAP has provided strong evidence for the expansion of the universe through its precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background.
WMAP has observed the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is the remnant heat from the Big Bang. By mapping the temperature fluctuations in this radiation, scientists can see how matter and energy were distributed in the early universe. WMAP's data shows that the universe is expanding, as the radiation patterns are consistent with an expanding universe.
In addition to WMAP's measurements, there are other pieces of evidence that support the theory of an expanding universe. These include the redshift of galaxies, which indicates that they are moving away from each other, and the discovery of dark energy, which is thought to be driving the expansion of the universe.
While there are alternative theories that attempt to explain the observations made by WMAP, none of them have been able to fully account for the data. The expanding universe model remains the most widely accepted explanation for WMAP's findings.
The discovery of an expanding universe has had a major impact on our understanding of the cosmos. It has led to the development of the Big Bang theory and has helped us understand the origin and evolution of the universe. It also has implications for the future fate of the universe, as continued expansion may eventually lead to a cold and empty state known as the "heat death" of the universe.