Plasma cosmology

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Plasma cosmology is a non-standard cosmological view which relies on the electromagnetic effects of plasma for explaining the large-scale structure of the universe, energy storage, and energy flow between separate areas of the universe, among other things. In the mid-1990s, interest in plasma cosmologies arose among the standard (Big Bang) cosmological community, mostly as a "fallback" theory, in case COBE failed to discover variations in the cosmic microwave background or in case primordial helium abundances turned out to be unexplainable by standard cosmologies. This interest rapidly waned as more precise measurements, such as those from COBE, appeared to support standard cosmologies in the late 1990's. However, both Anthony Peratt and Eric J. Lerner have shown how the CMB can also support plasma cosmology. In particular, Lerner has shown how the COBE results themselves can support plasma cosmology. Regardless of this, as of 2003, plasma cosmology is still not accepted by most cosmologists.

Table of contents

1 Overview

1.1 Alfven's model

2 Criticisms of Alfven's model

2.2 Other work

3 Figures in plasma cosmology
4 Redshifts
5 Future work
6 See also
7 Links and resources
8 Publications
9 Related Books

Overview

Within astrophysics, plasma physics and electromagnetic fields are active areas of research. Many astrophysical bodies are believed to be made of plasma, and even within the conventional Big Bang cosmology, the entire early universe consisted of plasma before recombination (eg. the process in which electrons become confined to protons to make neutral atoms) occurred. Though, in contrast to the Big Bang's poor performance, plasma cosmology's predictions of nucleosynthesis have performed well. Despite the general importance of plasma in astrophysics, and the assertions of the standard model that electromagnetic forces may be important for describing local phenomena, the standard model continues to delineate that these forces are not important at large cosmological distances. The reason for this is generally believed that unlike the other three forces which are attractive only, electromagnetism is both attractive and repulsive and over large cosmological distances, electromagnetic forces are believed to cancel each other. This is not always the case however. It can be shown that the electromagnetic forces are several orders of magnitude greater than the gravitational forces in a plasma and that the electromagnetic forces can have a longer range than gravitational forces.

Alfven's model

One of the most well developed models of plasma cosmology which challenges the standard Big Bang cosmology was first developed in 1965 by Hannes Alfven. In this model, the universe exists as a mixture of matter and antimatter which Alfven called ambiplasma. The cellular regions of matter and antimatter can mutually annihilate, leaving protons and electrons. This causes a rapid expansion of the region local to the annihilation. The Alfven model deals with the problem of cancellation explained above by postulating that the regions of matter and anti-matter are larger than the presently observable universe, and are separated by double-layers in the plasma. Alfven heavily stressed the importance of the cellular and filamentary nature of plasmas at any scale, from the laboratory to the galactic. Alfven's model possesses a number of highly appealing properties. Firstly, it addresses the question of what happened before expansion, which is not addressed by standard Big Bang cosmology. Alfven postulated that the universe has always existed, and that the expansion we might now be seeing is merely a local phase of a much larger history. Secondly, the model does not invoke any exotic physics (other than antimatter, which has been verified on Earth in high-energy colliders), instead modelling the universe using the well-understood electromagnetic forces along with gravity. Due to its empirical foundations (Alfven was a laboratory physicist at heart, developing power-transmission systems and the like), Alfven's model depended on well-documented laboratory experimentation and physics. From a theoretical point of view, Alfven was unable to formalize his model to the point where it is possible to perform numerical simulations similar to those now performed to model the behavior of early galaxies. Alfven proposed that the bubble of matter we are in is larger than the observable universe. This brought the question of how one would go about testing the model if the structures that it predicts cannot be observed. Although 3-D formation simulations of single galaxies have been performed using the plasma model (see articles by Anthony Peratt) wherein electromagnetic forces are taken into account along with gravitation, there have been no published papers which attempt to calculate correlation functions and comparison with observations.

Criticisms of Alfven's model

Unfortunately, there are a number of problems with Alfven's model. From a theoretical point of view, Alfven was unable to formalize his model to the point where it is possible to perform numerical simulations similar to those now routinely performed to model the behavior of early galaxies in the standard cosmology and which are used to predict the correlation function of the universe. Although 3-D formation simulations of single galaxies have been performed using the plasma model (see articles by Anthony Peratt) wherein electromagnetic forces are taken into account along with gravitation, there have been no published papers which attempt to calculate correlation functions and therefore allow detailed comparison with observations. Another problem is, ironically, that plasma cosmologies depend on physics which is, while not completely well-understood, quite well-documented from laboratory experimentation. Because the standard Big Bang model involves physics that is poorly understood, one can adjust Big Bang models to fit observations by invoking exotic physics, such as the existence of as-yet unobserved particles. Due to its empirical foundations (Alfven was a laboratory physicist at heart, developing power-transmission systems and the like), it is much harder to modify Alfven's model to fit cosmological observations. From an observational point of view, the gamma rays emitted by even small amounts of matter/antimatter annihilation should be easily visible using gamma ray telescopes. However, such gamma rays have not been observed. One could rescue this model by proposing, as Alfven does, that the bubble of matter we are in is larger than the observable universe. This then brings up the question of how one would go about testing the model if the structures that it predicts cannot be observed. In order to test the model, one would have to find some signature of the model in current observations, and this requires that the model be formalized to the point where detailed quantitative predictions can be made. That opens the theoretical problem mentioned in the last paragraph.

Other work

It must be remembered that Alfven's model of the universe is not the only model within the field of plasma cosmology. Alfven did play a very large role in founding the fields of plasma physics and plasma cosmology, however many physicists have expounded on his model and there are in fact versions today which greatly account for much of the observable phenomena in the universe, including the CMB, the distribution of galaxies, the formation of galaxies, redshift, large-scale energy flow and storage, etc..

Figures in plasma cosmology

The following physicists and astronomers helped, either directly or indirectly, to develop this field:

Hannes Alfven - Along with Birkeland, fathered Plasma Cosmology and was a pioneer in laboratory based plasma physics. Received the only Nobel Prize ever awarded to a plasma physicist.\n* Halton Arp - Astronomer famous for his work on anomalous redshifts, "Quasar, Redshifts and Controversies".\n* Willard Harrison Bennett - The z-pinch was first called the "Bennett pinch". Also invented radio frequency mass spectrometry.\n* Kristian Birkeland - First suggested that polar electric currents [or aurorall electrojets] are connected to a system of filaments (now called "Birkeland Currents") that flowed along geomagnetic field lines into and away from the polar region. Suggested that space is not a vacuum but is instead filled with plasma. Pioneered the technique of "laboratory astrophysics", which became directly responsible for our present understanding of the aurora.\n* David Bohm - Contributed to quantum mechanics and relativity theory, as well as developing the Bohm interpretation [a non-local hidden variable].\n* Max Born - Formulated the interpretation of the probability density for ψ*ψ in the Schrodinger equation of quantum mechanics.\n* Oscar Buneman - Pioneer of computational plasma physics and plasma simulation. Contributed greatly to our ability to model plasmas of any scale.\n* Erwin Findlay-Freundlich - Introduced experiments for which the general theory of relativity could be tested by astronomical observations based on the gravitational redshift. Advocated tired-light mechanisms.\n* Charles Edouard Guillaume - Determined the correct temperature of space first.\n* Irving Langmuir - Developed electron temperature concepts and a thermionic probe, the Langmuir probe. Coined the term "plasma" to hint at the life-like behavior of this state of matter.\n* Eric J. Lerner - Showed that the intergalactic medium absorbs and attenuates radio frequencies, and invalidated the "primordial" interpretation of the CMB. Wrote a comprehensive introductory book to the subject of Plasma Cosmology, "The Big Bang Never Happened".\n* Louis N�el - Contributed fundamental research on and discoveries in antiferromagnetism and ferrimagnetism.\n* Anthony Peratt - Developed computer simulations of galaxy formation using Birkeland currents along with gravity. Along with Alfven, organized international conferences on Plasma Cosmology.\n* Andrey Dmitriyevich Sakharov - Proposed the development of the tokamak device for use in controlled thermonuclear fusion.\n* Nikola Tesla - Developed the rotating magnetic field model and the Dynamic theory of gravity.\n* Gerrit L. Verschuur - Radio Astronomer, writer of "Interstellar matters : essays on curiosity and astronomical discovery" and "Cosmic catastrophes".\n* Jean-Pierre Vigier - Pioneered the causal stochastic interpretation.\n* Emil Wolf - Advanced spectroscopy of partially coherent radiation, and the theory of direct scattering and inverse scattering.

Redshifts

Although there are many local redshifting mechanisms observed in laboratory experimentation with plasmas, one problem in using a majority of them to explain cosmological redshifts is that it is difficult to account for a change in the energy of a photon going through plasma without photon scattering (changing the photon's direction of propagation.) In some non-linear optical phenomena there are forms of scattering in which the direction of propagation of the photons is not changed. Specifically, one promising candidate for astrophysical application is Forward Brillouin Scattering, found locally in Laser Fusion devices, as an example. This form of forward scattering causes a redshift and a broadening of spectral lines without changing the direction of propagation of the incident light.

Future work

Many astrophysicists believe that the standard cosmology can make the detailed and observable predictions better than the current plasma cosmology model that has been proposed. Examples of the ad hoc predictions to match observed phenonomena include the distribution of nuclear elements and the clumpiness of the galaxies. There have been no published papers which make predictions on the primordial helium abundance (although this subject is addressed in Lerner's book,) or which calculate correlation functions. Hence, as of 2003, this topic awaits analysis under the Alfven model or in any other plasma cosmology by the cosmological community.

Links and resources

\n* Peratt, Anthony, "Plasma Universe". (Frameset)\n** Peratt, Anthony, "Plasma Universe". (Navigation : no frames)\n** Peratt, Anthony, "Plasma Cosmology" (Related Papers.)\n* IEEE Xplore, "IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science". Volume 18, Issue: 1. Feb 1990. (Special Issue on Plasma Cosmology)\n* Wurden, Glen, "The Plasma Universe". Los Alamos National Laboratory. University of California (U.S. Department of Energy). (General Plasma Research)\n* Melrose, Don B., "Plasma Astrophysics: Personal Recollections of the Start of a New Field". Research Centre for Theoretical Astrophysics. School of Physics, University of Sydney.\n** Melrose, Don B., "Quantum Plasmadynamics". Research Centre for Theoretical Astrophysics, School of Physics, University of Sydney.\n* "US / Russia Collaboration in Plasma Astrophysics". (Started in 1990.)\n* Marmet, Paul, "Big Bang Cosmology Meets an Astronomical Death". 21st Century, Science and Technology,Washington, D.C.\n* Thornhill, Wal, "Electric Universe". Solution of the mystery.\n** Thornhill, Wal, "Intro to Electric Universe". Holoscience. \n* Arp, Halton, "Website". (Community forum and access to some papers.)\n* Eastman, Timothy E., "Plasma Astrophysics". Plasmas International. (References, Parameters, and Research Centers links.)\n* "Plasma Astrophysics". Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester.\n* Vegeta, King, "The Case for Plasma Cosmology"\n** Vegeta, King, "The Cosmological Debate".\n* "Lecture". Some more info

Publications

\n* E. J. Lerner, "Intergalactic radio absorption and the Cobe data". Astrophys. Space Sci. 227, 61-81 (1995)\n* A. L. Peratt, "Plasma and the universe: Large-scale dynamics, filamentation, and radiation". Astrophys. Space Sci. 227, 97-107 (1995).\n* E. J. Lerner, "On the problem of Big-bang nucleosynthesis". Astrophys. Space Sci. 227, 145-149 (1995).\n* C. M. Snell and A. L. Peratt, "Rotation velocity and neutral hydrogen distribution dependency on magnetic-field strength in spiral galaxies". Astrophys. Space Sci. 227, 167-173 (1995).\n* A. L. Peratt, "Plasma cosmology". IEEE T. Plasma Sci. 18, 1-4 (1990).\n* Meierovich, "Limiting current in general relativity" Gravitation and Cosmology 3 (1), 29-37 (1997).\n* W. C. Kolb, "How can spirals persist?". Astrophysics and Space Science 227, 175-186 (1995).\n* J. E. Brandenburg, "A model cosmology based on gravity-electromagnetism unification". Astrophysics and Space Science 227, 133-144 (1995).\n* J. Kanipe, "The pillars of cosmology: a short history and assessment". Astrophysics and Space Science 227, 109-118 (1995).\n* G. Arcidiacono, "Plasma physics and big-bang cosmology". Hadronic Journal 18, 306-318 (1995).

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