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The Quasi-Isotropic Universe

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Gravitation in Astrophysics

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSB,volume 156))

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Abstract

The standard picture of the Universe is of a system highly Isotropic and spatially homogeneous on scales larger than the observed clustering scale of local luminous matter. Evidence for this is derived from the isotropy of the microwave background radiation and the abundance of helium. In this picture the Universe is represented by a Friedman-Robertson-Walker (FRW) model with small perturbations. However, while exact homogeneity and isotropy imply a FRW model, observations of approximate homogeneity and isotropy in a finite region do not, as we shall see, imply approximate FRW behaviour for all time even locally. We therefore find that the universe need not be of FRW type in order to satisfy the observational constraints. This has important consequences for proposed explanations of approximate homogeneity and isotropy. Such explanations have been focussed on (i) the choice of initial conditions; (ii) dynamical dissipation of anisotropy and imhomogeneity and (iii) the anthropic principle. Under (i) I shall discuss the role of gravitational entropy and I shall mention Mach’s Principle. (Quantum initial conditions are considered by Hartle in this volume.) I shall also comment on the anthropic explanation. Investigations of the behaviour of certain cosmological models of non-FRW type suggest that these approaches are unlikely to be successful.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Astronomy Department, University of Leicester, England

    D. J. Raine

Authors
  1. D. J. Raine
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. CNRS-Observatoire de Paris, Paris, France

    B. Carter

  2. University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA

    J. B. Hartle

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© 1987 Plenum Press, New York

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Raine, D.J. (1987). The Quasi-Isotropic Universe. In: Carter, B., Hartle, J.B. (eds) Gravitation in Astrophysics. NATO ASI Series, vol 156. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1897-2_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1897-2_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9056-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-1897-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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