I've been thinking about the big bang and I've come up with a hypothesis (or perhaps a I should call it a speculation) to tie together some anomalies and explain how it all works. I'll call it the Zero Point Conversion hypothesis. First, let's take a look at some generally accepted aspects of the universe.
1. The universe is expanding. According to the inflationary big bang model, around 13 billion years ago, the current observable universe occupied a very tiny volume of space at a very high temperature. There was a brief period of extremely rapid expansion (called hyperinflation) after which the rate of expansion slowed greatly. As the universe expanded, it cooled and energy coalesced into matter which eventually formed the stars and planets of our current universe.
2. Observations of type Ia supernovas indicate that the rate of expansion of the universe is accelerating. This has lead physicists to postulate the existence of an unknown force called dark energy which drives this expansion (anomaly #1).
3. Space is not "nothing", or at least it isn't empty. It contains zero point energy. This energy is predicted by Quantum Theory. It results in the production of virtual particle pairs that constantly created and annihilated in the vacuum. These virtual particles are in turn responsible for some observable effects such as the Casmire effect.
4. An effect of the expansion of space is the red shift seen in the light from most objects in the universe. As space expands, the wavelength of light is stretched. A longer wavelength means a shift toward the red end of the spectrum. It also means less energy. Longer wavelength electromagnetic waves have less energy than short wave length electromagnetic waves. This is anomaly #2. According to the law of conservation of matter and energy, matter and energy are never created or destroyed. The form of matter or energy can change and matter can be converted to energy and energy to matter, but the sum total of matter and energy should remain the same. The cosmological red shift, however, seems to defy this law. Photons everywhere in the universe are losing energy due to red shift.
5. There are four recognized forces in nature: electromagnetic energy, the nuclear strong force, the nuclear weak force, and gravity. According to physicists, electromagnetic energy, the strong force, and the weak force are all related and, in the extremely hot environment at the start of the big bang, they were in fact indistinguishable.
So far this is all generally well know and accepted physics. But now I'm going to make some assumptions.
Assumption 1: The amount of zero point energy in a given volume of space is fixed. I am under the impression that quantum theory predicts a specific value for the amount of zero point energy in a given volume of space. I could be mistaken in which case this hypothesis could run head long into a brick wall in my very first assumption. If this assumption is correct, the expansion of space requires an increase in the amount of zero point energy. Or to put it another way, an increase in zero point energy results in expansion of space.
Assumption 2: The law of conservation of matter and energy is in fact a law and applies even in an expanding universe. The red shift represents not a loss of energy but a conversion of energy to a different form - namely zero point energy.
Assumption 3: Although red shift in responsible for most conversion of energy into zero point energy, this conversion can occur without red shift, although at a very limited rate. This assumption is necessary mainly to get the ball rolling.
Using these assumptions, let's turn back the clock some 13 billion years. All the universe exists as a vast amount of undifferentiated energy in a minuscule amount of space with very little zero point energy. A tiny amount of this energy is converted to zero point energy and space begins to expand. As soon as the expansion begins, all the energy in the universe is subject to red shifting and the amount of zero point energy begins to increase rapidly leading to hyperinflation. As the universe expands it cools and at a critical point, the electromagnetic, strong, and weak forces differentiate and much of the energy in the universe changes into matter. Matter is not subject red shifting so the supply of new zero point is greatly reduced. With much less new zero point energy available, hyperinflation ends. There is still some electromagnetic energy out there in the form of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation and it continues to supply zero point energy for expansion but at a much slower rate. If that was the end of the story, the expansion would grow slower and slower as the CMB became cooler and cooler. But, of course, that isn't the end of the story because there is a fourth force in nature.
Over time, gravity began to exert itself on the newly formed matter, coalescing it into stars. When these began to light up, electromagnetic energy was liberated from matter and flowed into the gradually expanding universe. This released energy is converted by red shift into more zero point energy which produces more expansion which produces more red shifting which accelerates the conversion and expansion.
Using our assumptions, we have provided an explanation for why hyperinflation started and why it stopped. We've also provided an explanation for why the expansion of the universe is currently accelerating, all without requiring an unknown dark energy. We've also linked a large scale phenomenon of the universe (expansion) with an aspect of quantum theory (zero point energy). All of which makes this an attractive notion. Of course an attractive notion isn't necessarily a correct one, but it's at least worth thinking about.
I'm sure by now you are all chomping at the bit to point out to me just precisely where I have gone horribly wrong in my thinking. So have it.
1. The universe is expanding. According to the inflationary big bang model, around 13 billion years ago, the current observable universe occupied a very tiny volume of space at a very high temperature. There was a brief period of extremely rapid expansion (called hyperinflation) after which the rate of expansion slowed greatly. As the universe expanded, it cooled and energy coalesced into matter which eventually formed the stars and planets of our current universe.
2. Observations of type Ia supernovas indicate that the rate of expansion of the universe is accelerating. This has lead physicists to postulate the existence of an unknown force called dark energy which drives this expansion (anomaly #1).
3. Space is not "nothing", or at least it isn't empty. It contains zero point energy. This energy is predicted by Quantum Theory. It results in the production of virtual particle pairs that constantly created and annihilated in the vacuum. These virtual particles are in turn responsible for some observable effects such as the Casmire effect.
4. An effect of the expansion of space is the red shift seen in the light from most objects in the universe. As space expands, the wavelength of light is stretched. A longer wavelength means a shift toward the red end of the spectrum. It also means less energy. Longer wavelength electromagnetic waves have less energy than short wave length electromagnetic waves. This is anomaly #2. According to the law of conservation of matter and energy, matter and energy are never created or destroyed. The form of matter or energy can change and matter can be converted to energy and energy to matter, but the sum total of matter and energy should remain the same. The cosmological red shift, however, seems to defy this law. Photons everywhere in the universe are losing energy due to red shift.
5. There are four recognized forces in nature: electromagnetic energy, the nuclear strong force, the nuclear weak force, and gravity. According to physicists, electromagnetic energy, the strong force, and the weak force are all related and, in the extremely hot environment at the start of the big bang, they were in fact indistinguishable.
So far this is all generally well know and accepted physics. But now I'm going to make some assumptions.
Assumption 1: The amount of zero point energy in a given volume of space is fixed. I am under the impression that quantum theory predicts a specific value for the amount of zero point energy in a given volume of space. I could be mistaken in which case this hypothesis could run head long into a brick wall in my very first assumption. If this assumption is correct, the expansion of space requires an increase in the amount of zero point energy. Or to put it another way, an increase in zero point energy results in expansion of space.
Assumption 2: The law of conservation of matter and energy is in fact a law and applies even in an expanding universe. The red shift represents not a loss of energy but a conversion of energy to a different form - namely zero point energy.
Assumption 3: Although red shift in responsible for most conversion of energy into zero point energy, this conversion can occur without red shift, although at a very limited rate. This assumption is necessary mainly to get the ball rolling.
Using these assumptions, let's turn back the clock some 13 billion years. All the universe exists as a vast amount of undifferentiated energy in a minuscule amount of space with very little zero point energy. A tiny amount of this energy is converted to zero point energy and space begins to expand. As soon as the expansion begins, all the energy in the universe is subject to red shifting and the amount of zero point energy begins to increase rapidly leading to hyperinflation. As the universe expands it cools and at a critical point, the electromagnetic, strong, and weak forces differentiate and much of the energy in the universe changes into matter. Matter is not subject red shifting so the supply of new zero point is greatly reduced. With much less new zero point energy available, hyperinflation ends. There is still some electromagnetic energy out there in the form of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation and it continues to supply zero point energy for expansion but at a much slower rate. If that was the end of the story, the expansion would grow slower and slower as the CMB became cooler and cooler. But, of course, that isn't the end of the story because there is a fourth force in nature.
Over time, gravity began to exert itself on the newly formed matter, coalescing it into stars. When these began to light up, electromagnetic energy was liberated from matter and flowed into the gradually expanding universe. This released energy is converted by red shift into more zero point energy which produces more expansion which produces more red shifting which accelerates the conversion and expansion.
Using our assumptions, we have provided an explanation for why hyperinflation started and why it stopped. We've also provided an explanation for why the expansion of the universe is currently accelerating, all without requiring an unknown dark energy. We've also linked a large scale phenomenon of the universe (expansion) with an aspect of quantum theory (zero point energy). All of which makes this an attractive notion. Of course an attractive notion isn't necessarily a correct one, but it's at least worth thinking about.
I'm sure by now you are all chomping at the bit to point out to me just precisely where I have gone horribly wrong in my thinking. So have it.
