Superstrings and cosmology

We discuss some aspects of superstring cosmology. Especially, the influence of winding strings on the compactification scenario is emphazised. It is shown that torus compactified superstrings could improve the compactification behaviour.     

How can spirals persist?

The image of a spiral galaxy is one of the most tantalizing images in nature. It demands that we ask: why do so many galaxies present this morphology? We currently have two main schools of thought concerning galaxy morphology, one based on gravitational effects and the other based on electromagnetic effects. The older gravitational models can explain how spirals might form, but they also predict that the spirals would quickly disintegrate. And the observed pervasiveness of spirals seems to imply not only their formation, but also their persistence over time. The newer plasma cosmology model is an improvement in that it explains how spirals might form and persist so long as plasma persists. But the formation of charge-neutral stars seems to return the scenario to the gravitational domain, and to subsequent dissolution. Clearly we need an additional idea to account for pervasive and persistent spiral galaxy structure. The present paper attempts to uncover a previously unrecognized gravitational mechanism that can serve as a viable candidate for sustaining persistent spiral galaxy structure.     

Astronomical measurements and constraints on the variability of fundamental constants

We review the present status of how astronomical observations allow to constrain the evolution of fundamental constants of nature. The main observational constraints on the variation of the gravitational constant, on the fine structure constant and on the proton-to-electron mass ratio are reviewed. We also elaborate on some theoretical schemes which naturally lead to such variations.     

The pillars of cosmology: a short history and assessment

Is the big bang model of the universe ascendant and unshakable, or declining and outdated? This paper cursorily explores the state of cosmology today.     

Some critiques of the big bang cosmology

Still more shocking than the metaphysical assumption of some initial singularity, is the constant insistence upon the so-called cosmological principle of “homogeneity” and “isotropy” of the Universe. Observations do contradict this principle. And to me, the inhomogeneous, fractal at least on a certain scale range, of the distribution of matter is in itself an important cosmological fact, hitherto almost neglected. Moreover difficultties as to the applicability of the second principle of thermodynamics, observations of abnormal redshifts, etc., are casting large doubts not only upon the standard cosmological models, but even on the interpretation of the observed redshift as due solely to a universal expansion.     

New constraints on neutrino masses from cosmology

By combining data from cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments (including the recent WMAP third year results), large scale structure (LSS) and Lyman-α forest observations, we derive upper limits on the sum of neutrino masses of Σm_ν < 0.17 eV at 95% c.l. We then constrain the hypothesis of a fourth, sterile, massive neutrino. For the third massless +1 massive neutrino case we bound the mass of the sterile neutrino to m_s < 0.26 eV at 95% c.l. These results exclude at high significance the sterile neutrino hypothesis as an explanation of the LSND anomaly. We then generalize the analysis to account for active neutrino masses which tightens the limit to m_s < 0.23 eV and the possibility that the sterile abundance is not thermal. In the latter case, the constraints in the (mass, density) plane are non-trivial. For a mass of >1 eV or <0.05 eV the cosmological energy density in sterile neutrinos is always constrained to be ω_ν < 0.003 at 95% c.l. However, for a sterile neutrino mass of 0.25 eV, ω_ν can be as large as 0.01.     

Nonconformal fluctuations in radiation dominated anisotropic cosmology

Using simple path integral, Feynman propagator method and the relation between conformal timeη and scale factor Τ, we investigate the non-conformal quantum fluctuations (of expansion and shear) and axisymmetric singularity case in radiation dominated anisotropic cosmology. We show that near the classical singularity the quantum fluctuations tend to diverge. Since the December 1998 issue of this journal was delayed, we were able to include this paper in this issue.     

Nonconservation of baryons in cosmology—revisited

The concept of the steady-state universe discussed by Hoyle & Narlikar two decades ago is revived in the light of the present discussions of the phase transition in the early big-bang universe. It is shown that with suitable scaling the bubble universe solution bears a striking similarity to the inflationary scenarios being discussed today. The currently discussed idea of cosmic baldness was also anticipated in the C-field cosmology of the steady-state universe. An erratum to this article is available at .     

An alternative approach to cosmogony and cosmology

Some problems associated with the big bang cosmological model are briefly discussed. It is shown that the quasi-steady state model (QSSC) is a viable alternative. Moreover, the cosmogony related to this theory is supported by the observations.     

The quasi-steady state cosmology: Some recent developments

This paper summarises the recent work on the quasi-steady state cosmology. This includes, the theoretical formulation and simple exact solutions of the basic equations, their relationship to observations, the stability of solutions and the toy model for understanding the growth of structures in the universe.     

Preface: Workshop on matter,astrophysics, gravitation,ions and cosmology—MAGIC23

We outline our experience in organizing the first edition of the Workshop on Matter, Astrophysics, Gravitation, Ions and Cosmology, held in virtual and in-person format, denominated MAGIC23, held from 6 to 10 March, 2023, in Praia do Rosa, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The event aimed to bring together leading academic scientists, professors, students, and research scholars for exchanging experiences and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, practical challenges, and experimental and theoretical solutions adopted in the investigation fields within the scope of the meeting. The workshop offered to the participants a platform for scientific and academic projects, partnerships, and presentation of high-quality research contributions describing original and unpublished results on topics related to matter, astrophysics, gravitation, ions, and cosmology.     

ARCADE: Absolute radiometer for cosmology, astrophysics, and diffuse emission

The absolute radiometer for cosmology, astrophysics, and diffuse emission (ARCADE) is a balloon-borne instrument designed to measure the temperature of the cosmic microwave background at centimeter wavelengths. ARCADE searches for deviations from a blackbody spectrum resulting from energy releases in the early universe. Long-wavelength distortions in the CMB spectrum are expected in all viable cosmological models. Detecting these distortions or showing that they do not exist is an important step for understanding the early universe. We describe the ARCADE instrument design, current status, and future plans.     

LRS Bianchi-V cosmology with decaying vacuum density and heat flow

In this paper we consider a locally-rotationally-symmetric (LRS) Bianchi type-V perfect fluid model with variable cosmological ‘constant’ representing the energy density of vacuum. The field equations are solved with and without heat conduction by using a variation law for the mean Hubble parameter, which is related to the average scale factor of the metric and yields a constant value of the deceleration parameter. A constant value of deceleration parameter generates power-law form of average scale factor which is used to find the exact solutions with and without heat conduction with decaying vacuum density. The solutions presented here satisfy all the necessary conditions for the physically acceptability. The thermodynamical relations in decaying vacuum fluid model are also studied in detail.     

Intergalactic radio absorption and the cobe data

The COBE data on cosmic Background radiation (CBR) isotropy and spectrum are generally considered to be explicable only in the context of the Big Bang theory and to be confirmation of that theory. However, this data can also be explained by an alternative, non-Big Bang model which hypothesizes an intergalactic radio-absorbing and scattering medium. A simple, inhomogenous model of such an absorbing medium can reproduce both the isotropy and spectrum of the CBR within the limits observed by COBE, and in fact gives a better to fit to the spectrum observations than does a pure blackbody. Such a model does not contradict any other observations, such as the existence of distant radio sources.     

On the problem of big bang nucleosynthesis

Supporters of the standard Big Bang theory point to the abundances of light elements, predicted by Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) as one of the main observational supports of the theory. However, current data no longer confirm BBN. Instead, measurements of the abundances of He³, He⁴, and D clearly contradict BBN at more than a 3 level, eliminating a key support of the Big Bang.     

A static conformally-flat vacuum model in self-creation cosmology

Vacuum field equations for the conformally-flat spherically-symmetric static space-time are obtained in a self-creation theory of gravitation proposed by Barber. It is shown that the most general conformally-flat spherically-symmetric static vacuum model in this theory represents only purely flat space-time.     

Surface vacuum energy and stresses on a brane in AdS space with an application to the brane-world model

The vacuum expectations of the surface energy-momentum tensor generated on a brane in AdS space-time by quantum fluctuations of a scalar field with an arbitrary coupling parameter are studied. It is assumed that the field satisfies mixed boundary conditions on the brane. A generalized zeta function method is used as a regularization procedure. Two regions, located to the left (L-region) and right (R-region) of the brane, are considered. It is shown that the surface energies for both these regions contain pole and finite contributions. Analytic expressions are derived for both parts. When calculating the total surface energy including the contributions from the L- and R-regions, the pole terms add out in odd spatial dimensions. The surface energy-momentum tensor induced by vacuum quantum effects corresponds to the generation of a cosmological constant on the brane. These results are applied to the second Randall-Sundrum model.Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 151–164 (February 2005).     

Further results for astrophysics from the cosmology within the framework of the Projective Unified Field Theory

Recently the 5‐dimensional Projective Unified Field Theory (PUFT) of the author (Schmutzer 1995a, Schmutzer 1995b) has been applied to a closed homogeneous isotropic cosmological model with the result of a cosmology without big bang (Schmutzer 1999a, Schmutzer 1999b). Continuing this approach, in this paper following subjects are treated: recalculation of numerical values of cosmological quantities, exact solution of the field equations to a point‐like body, motion of a test body in such a field, definition of the empirical effective gravitational factor (“constant”), Einstein effects compared to the empirical situation, adiabatic approximation of the motion of an orbiting testbody under the influence of the expanding cosmos (transition of the ellipses to circles, decrease of the radius of the orbiting bodies, decrease of the excentricity, increase of the frequency of orbiting objects etc.), heat production in a moving body induced by the cosmological expansion with application to various cosmic objects.     

Shear and vorticity in inflationary Brans–Dicke cosmology with lambda-term

We find a solution for exponential inflation in Brans–Dicke cosmology endowed with a cosmological term, which includes time-varying shear and vorticity. We find that the scalar field and the scale factor increase exponentialy while shear, vorticity, energy density, cosmic pressure and the cosmological term decay exponentialy for negative beta, where beta is defined in the text.     

Vacuum friedmann cosmology based on Lyra's manifold

Vacuum Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological models are derived in Lyra's manifold and some properties of the solutions are discussed. In addition to the usual de Sitter universe, several new solutions are obtained.