Gravitational energy and cosmic acceleration

Type of content
Journal Article
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
University of Canterbury. Physics and Astronomy
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
2008
Authors
Wiltshire, D.L.
Abstract

Cosmic acceleration is explained quantitatively, as an apparent effect due to gravitational energy differences that arise in the decoupling of bound systems from the global expansion of the universe. "Dark energy" is a misidentification of those aspects of gravitational energy which by virtue of the equivalence principle cannot be localized, namely gradients in the energy due to the expansion of space and spatial curvature variations in an inhomogeneous universe. A new scheme for cosmological averaging is proposed which solves the Sandage – de Vaucouleurs paradox. Concordance parameters fit supernova luminosity distances, the angular scale of the sound horizon in the CMB anisotropies, and the effective comoving baryon acoustic oscillation scale seen in galaxy clustering statistics. Key observational anomalies are potentially resolved, and unique predictions made, including a quantifiable variance in the Hubble flow below the scale of apparent homogeneity.

Description
Publisher listing says "This essay received an "honorable mention" in the 2007 Essay Competition of the Gravity Research Foundation."
Citation
Wiltshire, D.L. (2008) Gravitational energy and cosmic acceleration. International Journal of Modern Physics D, 17(3/4), pp. 641-649.
Keywords
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Fields of Research::51 - Physical sciences::5101 - Astronomical sciences::510103 - Cosmology and extragalactic astronomy
Rights