Universe, Page 3

Universe Prototype 1

Now, what we have here is a delema. We haven't solved a thing. Was there energy before the big bang and this energy is conserved? Or does the net energy equal zero? We still have to decide which one is right.

My suggestion is, they are both right. In some ways I think both options can be molded into one. It is hard to imagine what it might look like, so I'll give it a try now (this is all speculation by the way. When you see a sentance, imagine it is proceeded by the words "let's assume..."). The symmetry would still exist. The total net energy would still be zero.The total net energy in creating a universe would still be zero. Symmetrically opposite objects still cancel. We still have that infinite plane of nothingness. This nothingness is characterised by this zero point energy. Giving away casuality and the idea of "when", "how" and "why" (due to the fact that we have an infinite plane of nothing for eternity) this zero point energy just is. Like law, it just is. It is the nature of nothingness, although by our meaning of that word, we presume it to be something totally different. This zero point energy follows the normal laws we are used to today. Chaos theory, thermodynamics (in a time symmetric way), entropy, etc etc. This law just is. There is enough energy in this nothingness (because of it's infinite nature) for there to spontaneously create particles of matter and anti-matter. This ero point energy has a randomness to it. Time is infinite, so there is an infinite amount of time for one particular special event to occur. A big bang. No energy is expended, energy is conserved. Born forth is a new universe.

Well, that's how I'd imagine it to be anyway. I'm sure there are many different ways in which these too ideas could be combined. And I'm positive that the above description would have a few, if not, many flaws. For example, when a particle of matter and anti-matter are created, in which case they later destroy each other, this descruction is accompanied by the expulsion of radiation (I'm pretty sure that's how it works. That's how I alyways understood it). If this happened before a universe is born, the nothingness would be full of photos and other types of particles as a result of this radiation.

I did however say that the zero point energy, in a relatively small region would be quite insubstancial. Only on any accumulatively large scale might this energy be of any significance. A particle of matter and anti-matter occupy an extremely small area. Now lets take into account the idea of this nothingness, this zero point energy. We assumed above that it follows natural law, it just is. Randomness and this activity of energy could indeed create fluctuations, such that energy becomes more dense in one area of space than it does in another (kind of like looking at clouds from out of space. The clouds swirl around and interact chaotically). This density might become so strong, to the point that paticles of matter and anti-matter are created. These particle's instantle destroy each other. The result of this descrution might be enough to cause a chain of matter and anti-matter creations and descrutions. Much like the chain reaction of a nuclear bomb, this reaction might be enough to create a much bigger explosion, the big bang.

But again, this is all speculation. The more I write, the more I'm sure I'm getting thing's wrong, and the more absurd I'm sure this sounds to you. But I'm relatively content to sit with the fact that this might have been the way it is. We human's look at the world in a biased way. We look at it with filters, through our eyes. Now the above description might be another filter at work, but you can't rule out the fact that the universe probably does a lot of things that we wouldn't expect. We give things meaning with our words and definitions. These definitions are ours to explain what we see. They are not universal. For example, we describe the word 'nothing' (or at least it's concept) as a particular objects non-existance. The opposite of something. The idea that nothing has the characteristic of a zero point energy goes against our definition, our meaning of nothing as we see it at a macroscopic level. That does not go to say that nothing does have or have not this characteristic, but you certianly can't rule out either option.

The Role of Superstrings

Recently, my sister emailed me and suggested something. She said, "Don't you think that the law of conservation of energy as it is that maybe the energy that results now in our universe, indeed existed before the time of the big bang but it existed in a form that is of a much higher vibrator source? Say for example, matter is at a certain rate of vibration but before the big bang it existed in a state of higher vibration of which is not perceptable to our senses."

This is sometimes known as superstring theory. Scientists know that all matter is made up of atoms. Not that long ago, scientists believed that this was the basic element of matter, it was indivisible. Soon afterwards, they discovered the electron orbitting a nucleus of protons and neutrons. Evidence suggests that theses sub-atomic particles are made up of further sub-sub-atomic particles called quarks. Sub-atomic particles are thought to be be made up of combinations of 6 different types of quarks. Physicists have since come up with the idea of superstrings as the constituents of these fundamental particles.

Basically, if you take an atom and blow it up to the size of our solar system, then a string is the size of an atom. These superstrings are generally thought to exist in 10 dimenions. The reason this is the case is because the equations the scientists use to describe them can only work in 10 dimensions. Sometimes even in 20+ dimensions. I purposly didn't include string theory into this article to begin with for sake of readbility. If you thought my infinite space, infinite time idea was hard to swallow, then I thought the whole idea of 10 dimensions was just doing to be a royal pain in the ass. Nonetheless, my sisters email got me thinking.

Matter is thought to exibit a property called matter waves. When a particle moves, it moves in accordance to the de Broglie wave length. The larger the object, the less wave characteristic it exhibits (a gold ball moving through the air would there for travel through the air exhibiting wave characteristics, however, they'd be to small to detect. The smaller the object, the move visible this fact becomes). It is even said that when a particle is not moving that it is still vibrating in some form. I'm pretty sure that's what they say, I'm positive I heard that somewhere. The closest humans have got to getting a particle to stop moving was with the Bose-Einstein Condensation. They got a few chunks of matter to within a few degree's of absolute zero (close to the temperature of the vacuum of space, if not, less than it). The particles basically stoped moving. This condensation does not occur naturally in nature.

The 3 degree kelvin back ground radiation might be part of the reason that atoms in space don't stop moving. The other possibility is the idea of vibration. Vibration is the cyclic moving of an object. Just picture the vibrations of a guitar string when you pluck one. That's vibration in terms of a string. Vibrations of particles would be in terms of points. What might suggest such vibrations? The idea of matter waves would be one I'd think. That's the reason I suggested it above. The other one would be the idea that if something is vibrating, then it is moving and thus energy is involved, which might suggest another reason why the Bose-Einstein Condensation doesn't occur naturally.

Getting back to my sisters email. As I said, it got me thinking. That whole bubble universe idea seems ok at first, if your willing to just accept it. But suppose that there is an infinite plane with an infinite number of bubble universes, with a non-existant time. You'd think that at some point, that another univers would burst into existance just outside ours. If that were the case, wouldn't you expect to see some sort of debris flying towards us? Or at least an energy front as the other universe expanded into ours? Normal every day bubbles have a common barrier. You can have 2 perfectly rounded bubbles, and then join then, such that they have a common wall between them. Both are still independant. The particles within each bubble are not shared or mixed, but they are still joined at the hip, as it were.

To be honest with you, I can't think of any type of matter or force strong enough that would prevent the constituents of two bubble universes joined at the hip, to interact. The energy front of each expanding universe might be enough to sustain this type of pressure. Normal bubbles won't remain in this joined state for ever, eventually they'll either pop or join together

This is where I think the idea of superstrings and it's accompanying state, hyper space, would be of use. In fact, now that I think about it, it can even be incorporated into my model of the universe that I suggested above. But believe me, the more I add to this, the more it begins to sound like science fiction.

I originally suggested that maybe it is the nature of nothingness to display this zero point energy. My explaination was that it just is. If the plane is minutely vibrating at all times, due to he ideas of superstring theory, then there would be energy. A zero point field may be regarded as an effect of superstring vibration. Now suppose you have your infinite plane of nothing. Suppose that it indeed is in a higher vibration than we are commonly used to like my sister suggested. Incorporating string theory, this means that this infinite plane also exists in about 10 dimensions. Don't try imagine 10 dimensions, lets just say "it just is".

Universe Prototype 2

So you hae an inifinite plane, made up of zero point energy, which we've decided is the vibration of super strings. It exists in 10 dimensions. These strings interact chaotically, in accodance with our normal laws of dynamical systems. Here is where my original explaination kicks in. The density of energy in one particular area might become strong enough to ignite matter and anti-matter pairs. As far as we are aware, matter and anti-matter exist in only 4 dimensions. Yes I know this is an assumption, but don't forget this whole thing is an assumption. So you have a matter and anti-matter pair of 4 dimensions surrounded by a plane if 10 dimensions. Like an elecron that jumps down from a high energy level to a lower one, it releases energy. When this creation of matter and anti-matter occurs, it would be obvious to think that energy of some sort is expelled as a small region of space goes from 10 dimensional space to 4 dimensional. Like my sister suggested, there might have been a higher vibration before the big bang, than there is now. So, to go from a higher vibration in 10 dimensional space, to a lower vibration of 4 dimensional space-time, then the energy has to go somewhere.

This expulsion of energy could be enough to spark the matter anti-matter chain reaction I originally suggested. This in turn makes more energy. And the feedback continues. What you may have is a crystilising effect. I don't know if any of you have ever seen a crystalising effect, it's very beautiful. So what we may have is a point of 10 dimensional space. This point is triggered to turn into 4 dimensional space and the energy expelled creatures more matter and anti-matter which in turn creates more energy. You thus have an expenential growth. This energy front will expand wider and wider, turning 10 dimensional space into 4 dimensional space.

This quick explosion of exponential growth appears very appelaing to me. Many cosmologists these day's have let go of the standard big bang model, and have taken an Inflational Big Bang model under their wing. They suggest that the universe underwent a period of very fast expansion in the early stages of its creation. They use this to explain the uniform cosmic back ground radiation that is exhibited in the sky. Any where the scientists look, it appears to be about 3 degrees Kelvin.

In any event, this wall of energy between 4 and 10 dimensional space might be enough to work as that barrier we were talking about earlier. Yes, all that above work was just to get to here. I think the energy created from going from 10 dimensions to 4 dimensions would be the only thing strong enough to sustain this "bubble". The other 6 dimensions are thought to be to small to be noticed.

Conclusion

I do have to say though, that'd I'd have to do a lot more research into the current idea's of super string theory. For example, the current theories say that even in the world we live in today, super strings still have an effect on us. In which case, I'd have to say that in the model above, superstrings are not eliminated when they go from 10 dimensions to 4 dimensions. Like an electron that can exist in higher energy levels other than its ground state, so to superstrings might do the same. An electron is no different in it's ground state than it is in a higher energy level. An electron is an electron. A superstring would work in the same way, I'd imagine, especially considering that electron's are supposed to contain superstrings at some point in the first place.

There are other problems with this model that I'm not really prepared to consider at this time. For example, the problem of "why did this expansion slow down in the first place" would have to be determined, but if I attempt that now, it will just make this seem a lot more like science fiction.

In any event though, testing any type of model of the universe, both before it's creation...well, mainly before it's creation, will be a very difficult task. It is very hard to pass judgements of a particular system, especially when your inside of it. Or in other words, the world looks different from out of space than it does from under water. We don't even have the means to observe the edge of the universe, let alone what could be outside of it. I would suggest though that the answer to what is out there (outside this bubble of a universe) could quite possibly be found, in here (inside this bubble of a universe). Will we ever find out? Only time will tell....either that or we'll all die trying.