Velocity Cone in expanding universe

In summary, the velocity cone refers to the region of space surrounding a source of gravity in an expanding universe. It is characterized by a cone-like shape, with the vertex at the source of gravity and the base expanding outward. This phenomenon is a result of the expanding universe, where the velocity of objects increases as they move further away from the source of gravity. The velocity cone has significant implications for the study of the dynamics of the universe and the behavior of celestial objects within it.
  • #1
say_cheese
41
1
The figures in
http://www.astro.virginia.edu/class/whittle/astr553/Topic16/t16_light_cones.html
are very useful in understanding the various world lines in concordant diagrams. Is there any easy way to see how a velocity cone (at the observer's worldline) from a later time than the Big Bang look like?

Is there any easy way to understand why the light cone has a steep (>2c) slope? Is it the 66.18c that we see in http://www.einsteins-theory-of-relativity-4engineers.com/LightCone7/LightCone.html at early time.

In Cosmology, The Science of the Universe, two velocity cones are given, but the later cone seems to be steeper at the beginning.

I guess I am also asking if there is an excel sheet or a program to make the concordance diagram from the conformal time diagram.
 
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  • #2
say_cheese said:
The figures in
http://www.astro.virginia.edu/class/whittle/astr553/Topic16/t16_light_cones.html
are very useful...

Is there any easy way to understand why the light cone has a steep (>2c) slope? Is it the 66.18c that we see in http://www.einsteins-theory-of-relativity-4engineers.com/LightCone7/LightCone.html at early time.

Those are nice figures by Prof. Whittle. I especially like the top one. If you want to connect Whittle's figure to Jorrie's calculator you first remember that the stretch factor S = 1+z.
Whittle says that a galaxy whose light comes in stretched by factor S = 1.7 (aka z = 0.7) was receding at v = c/2, when it emitted the light we are now getting.
A galaxy with S = 5 (aka z=4) or slightly more was receding at v = 2c, when it emitted the light.

Do you see that information in the figure?

Let us know if you do not see that information displayed in the figure. I or someone else can help you look for it.

Whittle's figure was dated sometime in 2011 so it cannot be using the very latest 2013 model parameters,but it should give approximately the same figures as Jorrie's calculator, so let's compare.

YES! REMARKABLY CLOSE! I ran Jorrie's calculator between S=5 and S=1.7 selecting WMAP data (the older data set) rather than Planck.
[tex]{\scriptsize\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|c|}\hline R_{0} (Gly) & R_{\infty} (Gly) & S_{eq} & H_{0} & \Omega_\Lambda & \Omega_m\\ \hline 14&16.5&3300&69.8&0.72&0.28\\ \hline \end{array}}[/tex] [tex]{\scriptsize\begin{array}{|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|r|} \hline a=1/S&S&T (Gy)&R (Gly)&D_{now} (Gly)&D_{then}(Gly)&D_{hor}(Gly)&V_{now} (c)&V_{then} (c) \\ \hline 0.200&5.000&1.5689&2.3408&23.932&4.786&7.948&1.71&2.04\\ \hline 0.214&4.670&1.7370&2.5874&23.120&4.951&8.336&1.65&1.91\\ \hline 0.230&4.340&1.9372&2.8795&22.220&5.120&8.762&1.59&1.78\\ \hline 0.249&4.010&2.1785&3.2292&21.213&5.290&9.232&1.52&1.64\\ \hline 0.272&3.680&2.4737&3.6529&20.080&5.457&9.752&1.43&1.49\\ \hline 0.299&3.350&2.8408&4.1727&18.792&5.610&10.328&1.34&1.34\\ \hline 0.331&3.020&3.3063&4.8193&17.312&5.733&10.967&1.24&1.19\\ \hline 0.372&2.690&3.9102&5.6342&15.593&5.797&11.673&1.11&1.03\\ \hline 0.424&2.360&4.7143&6.6721&13.569&5.750&12.448&0.97&0.86\\ \hline 0.493&2.030&5.8176&7.9986&11.157&5.496&13.283&0.80&0.69\\ \hline 0.588&1.700&7.3840&9.6696&8.252&4.854&14.152&0.59&0.50\\ \hline \end{array}}[/tex]

You can see it agrees very closely!

It says Vthen = 0.5 where Whittle says c/2
and it says Vthen = 2.04 where Whittle says 2c.

The differences are probably due to slight differences in the choice of cosmic model parameters. But they are negligible. Essentially everybody is using the same equations.

You can also see in Whittle's figure that the recession speed v = c comes around redshift z = 1.7, which is a wavelength enlargement factor of S = 2.7. Well look at the row labeled S = 2.69 :biggrin: Almost exactly v=c.

Whittle has some very nice course materials! thanks for calling them to our attention.
 
Last edited:
  • #3
Thanks. I do see the figures and see the agreement with Jorrie's calculator. Great!
 

1. What is the velocity cone in an expanding universe?

The velocity cone in an expanding universe is a concept used in cosmology to describe the relationship between the velocity and distance of objects in the universe. It represents the cone-shaped region around an observer in which objects are moving away from the observer at a velocity equal to or greater than the speed of light.

2. How is the velocity cone related to the expansion of the universe?

The velocity cone is a direct result of the expansion of the universe. As the universe expands, objects are pushed further away from each other, causing an increase in their relative velocities. This leads to the formation of the velocity cone around an observer.

3. What does the velocity cone tell us about the age of the universe?

The velocity cone provides information about the age of the universe by revealing the maximum distance that light could have traveled in the time since the Big Bang. This is known as the observable universe and is estimated to be around 93 billion light years in diameter.

4. Can the velocity cone be observed in the night sky?

No, the velocity cone cannot be observed in the night sky as it is a theoretical concept based on the expansion of the universe. However, the effects of the velocity cone can be observed through the redshift of light from distant galaxies, which indicates their relative velocity and distance from us.

5. How does the velocity cone affect our understanding of the universe?

The velocity cone is an important concept in understanding the large-scale structure and evolution of the universe. It helps us to measure the expansion rate of the universe and determine the distances of distant objects. It also plays a crucial role in theories about the fate of the universe, such as the Big Crunch or Big Rip scenarios.

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