Particle horizon

About: Particle horizon is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2096 publications have been published within this topic receiving 69137 citations.

Life, the Universe, and Nothing: Life and Death in an Ever-expanding Universe

Abstract: Current evidence suggests that the cosmological constant is not zero, or that we live in an open universe. We examine the implications for the future under these assumptions, and find that they are striking. If the universe is cosmological constant-dominated, our ability to probe the evolution of large-scale structure will decrease with time; presently observable distant sources will disappear on a timescale comparable to the period of stellar burning. Moreover, while the universe might expand forever, the integrated conscious lifetime of any civilization will be finite, although it can be astronomically long. We argue that this latter result is far more general. In the absence of possible exotic and uncertain strong gravitational effects, the total information recoverable by any civilization over the entire history of our universe is finite. Assuming that consciousness has a physical computational basis, and therefore is ultimately governed by quantum mechanics, life cannot be eternal.

Can geodesics in extra dimensions solve the cosmological horizon problem

Abstract: We demonstrate a non-inflationary solution to the cosmological horizon problem in scenarios in which our observable universe is confined to three spatial dimensions (a three-brane) embedded in a higher dimensional space. A signal traveling along an extra-dimensional null geodesic may leave our three-brane, travel into the extra dimensions, and subsequently return to a different place on our three-brane in a shorter time than the time a signal confined to our three-brane would take. Hence, these geodesics may connect distant points which would otherwise be ``outside'' the four dimensional horizon (points not in causal contact with one another).

The Age of the Universe and the Cosmological Constant Determined from Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy Measurements

Abstract: If Ωtot = 1 and structure formed from adiabatic initial conditions, then the age of the universe, as constrained by measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), is t0 = 14.0 ± 0.5 Gyr. The uncertainty is surprisingly small given that CMB data alone do not significantly constrain either h or ΩΛ. This small uncertainty is due to the tight (and accidental) correlation in flat adiabatic models of the age with the angle subtended by the sound horizon on the last-scattering surface and, thus, with the well-determined acoustic peak locations. If we assume either the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project result h = 0.72 ± 0.08 or simply that h > 0.55, we find ΩΛ > 0.4 at 95% confidence—another argument for dark energy, independent of supernovae observations. Our analysis is greatly simplified by the Monte Carlo Markov chain approach to Bayesian inference combined with a fast method for calculating angular power spectra.

Emergent universe and the phantom tachyon model

Abstract: In this work, I have considered that the universe is filled with normal matter and a phantom field (or tachyonic field). If the universe is filled with a scalar field, Ellis et al have shown that an emergent scenario is possible only for k = +1, i.e. for a closed universe. Here I have shown that the emergent scenario is possible for a closed universe if the universe contains the normal tachyonic field. But for a phantom field (or tachyonic field), the negative kinetic term can generate the emergent scenario for all values of k(=0, ± 1). From recently developed statefinder parameters, the behaviour of different stages of the evolution of the emergent universe has been studied. The static Einstein universe and the stability analysis have been briefly discussed for both phantom and tachyon models.