Where would the observation of a static Universe have lead us?

In summary, if the observations had shown that the Universe was not expanding, it would have led us to believe that there is not enough matter in the universe to halt its expansion. This would imply that the expansion has slowed down recently, and there was no other significant factor (like dark energy) causing the expansion beyond the initial big band.
  • #1
Tokage
22
0
Had our observations shown shown that the Universe was not expanding, and was instead static, where would that have lead us as far as Cosmology is concerned?
 
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  • #2
As there is ample evidence of the universe's expansion and evolution in ancient times, an observation that the universe is currently not expanding, but is static would mean that it's expansion has slowed down to a stop recently. This would imply that there is enough matter in the universe to halt expansion under its own gravitational attraction, and there was no other significant factor (like dark energy) causing the expansion beyond the initial big band and inertia.
 
  • #3
chrisbaird said:
As there is ample evidence of the universe's expansion and evolution in ancient times, an observation that the universe is currently not expanding, but is static would mean that it's expansion has slowed down to a stop recently. This would imply that there is enough matter in the universe to halt expansion under its own gravitational attraction, and there was no other significant factor (like dark energy) causing the expansion beyond the initial big band and inertia.

Thanks for the answer chris! What if there had never been any evidence, even in ancient times, that the Universe was expanding?
 
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Before there was a Big Bang model, there were static universe models. Newton had one after his discovery of the force of gravity, and even Einstein made one after finding general relativity. So the expansion was a recent surprise. Ironically, both Newton's and Einstein's models were wrong-- they would not have been dynamically stable (any perturbation would have made the universe go dynamical, and expand someplaces and contract in others). Also, static universe models always have the problem of needing to figure out what to do with all the detritus that stars make, and no known process could reverse that.
 
  • #5
Mr. Ken G himself! Here I was bemoaning leaving, um, the other place, and missing out on your threads. I've been mulling over a future post I'd like to make relating to an early paper by Bernard d'Espagnat (meebe Sunday.) Here's hoping you'll be around for that!

Anything similar to your recent classic-quantum perspective-tweaker on this board? I loved that!

(Don't worry, I'll mostly popcorn through your threads from the sidelines as always, even if I won't be able to resist a dumb comment or question on the odd occasion.)
 
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1. What is a static Universe?

A static Universe is a hypothetical model in which the expansion of the Universe has stopped and all matter and energy are evenly distributed, resulting in a constant and unchanging Universe.

2. How did the idea of a static Universe come about?

The idea of a static Universe was proposed by Albert Einstein in his theory of general relativity. He believed that the Universe was unchanging and eternal, and added a "cosmological constant" to his equations to account for this.

3. What evidence do we have against a static Universe?

Observations of distant galaxies and the cosmic microwave background radiation have shown that the Universe is expanding, not static. This is known as Hubble's Law and is one of the key pieces of evidence for the Big Bang theory.

4. What would a static Universe mean for the future of the Universe?

If the Universe was static, it would mean that there would be no further evolution or change. The expansion of the Universe would not continue, and eventually all matter and energy would reach a state of equilibrium. This would also mean that the Universe would have no beginning or end.

5. How would a static Universe affect our understanding of the Universe?

A static Universe would greatly impact our understanding of the Universe and its origins. It would suggest that the Universe has always existed in its current state, rather than having a beginning at the Big Bang. It would also challenge our understanding of the laws of physics and the concept of time.

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