Universe Origin Thought Experiment

[aaronb]

Hi everyone! While lying in bed a thought occured to me one night. I'm sure since I'm a layman and not proficient in advanced math that this is wrong on some fundamental level but I would love to have someone run through this thought experiment with me. . . . ok for this to work you have to make a few leaps of faith:

1st- Dark energy or vaccum energy is real (is it? Who knows)
2nd- E=MC^2
3rd- If 2 is correct then matter and energy at some level can spont change from 1 to the other.

Ok. . . . so let's start this train rolling at current time, some 13-14bil yrs after the "big bang" We see that we are in an accelerating universe. (assuming our observations are correct) We assume this is caused by some form of vaccum or dark enegy. Let's suppose this energy is inherant to space itself. the more space expands, the more energy is present at any given point leading to exponential growth. (so far so good, haven't traveled off the beaten path with modern physics.)

We keep expanding ever faster, galaxies recede, superclusters tear apart, then galaxies, then solar systems all the way down to atoms (current "big rip" theory).

Let's say the expansion doesn't stop. Space keeps expanding beyond this point exponentially. The more it expands the more energy it contains on and on and on and on for trillions of yrs.

If e=mc^2 then matter and energy are the same thing. If this exponential energy growth continues for long enough wouldn't there eventually be enough energy embedded in the fabric of space itself to spontaneously "explode" into matter creating a new universe? granted the amount of energy contained in one proton is extreme much less the whole universe, but keep in mind we have been undergoing exp energy growth for trillions of years.

This just seems like a logical thought train to me. If energy is embedded in the fabric of the cosmos, and that energy is growing per our current observations, and energy and matter are fundamentally the same; then why can't this exp growth of embedded energy lead to the formation of everything we see today? this could be some universal balancing act. Once space reaches a certain energy density it can't hold anymore spontaneously creating matter. this would releive the energy "pressure" (for lack of a better word. . .

Ok, my rant is over. Would love to hear what everyone has to say on my thoughts. By the way, be kind with spelling and grammar, I'm typing this at work and in a hurry. Sorry Guys.

 

[origin]

Let's suppose this energy is inherant to space itself. the more space expands, the more energy is present at any given point leading to exponential growth. (so far so good, haven't traveled off the beaten path with modern physics.)

First welcome to SDC.

Secondly, you did happen to get lost in the weeds so to speak with this line early in your idea. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed only change form. But you are saying that energy is created out of nothing, which violates the basic tennets of physics

 

[Fallingstar1971]

You can still expand the Universe with a "fixed" (finite) energy amount. Think of rolling out a ball of dough. You start off with a small round ball. I roll it out flat and now its big enough to make a pie crust out of. I didnt change the amount of dough, just its configuration. But now, the same amount of dough can be made to appear to cover a larger space.

Even "fixed"(finite) there is still plenty of energy. All the matter in the Universe could qualify as Energy and all the Energy qualifies as mass. The two can be converted from one to the other. A small amount of mass contains very large amounts of energy. I give the hydrogen bomb as my example. The hydrogen contained in ONE circus balloon is enough to touch off one of the most powerful explosions conceived by man.

So, basically, we are in the middle of an event that is changing the layout of the entire Universe. It started with the Big Bang, and science isnt quite sure where it will end. But it has changed from what "was" to what "is" and is still changing into "what will come"

And this is why it is so difficult. We have no examples of the finished product, or of the starting ingredients. It is like a cake, that has awoken while still inside the oven. Its growing and changing, but doesn't know where it came from or where its going (in my belly)

Star

 

[R1]

It's not simply expanding any more, but ever since sometime in history it
has been under constant acceleration, I assume.

 

[bdewoody]

So if the universe is accelerating there must be some form of antigravity.

 

[origin]

So if the universe is accelerating there must be some form of antigravity.

Not really. The universe is expanding if it was antigravity it would mean that masses were repelling each other.