It's been awhile, during the move my email got messed up, but I'm back and
far from satisfied on a particular subject.
In reading Principles of Physical Cosmology by Peebles, I came across a
passage (and I'll be gald to reference it upon request) that explained that
at the edge of the universe, which is to say the event horizon of the
universe, depending on whether the universe is infinite yet bounded or
asymptotically flat, there is predicted a loss of energy! Here's the quote
from the text:
"...since the volume of the universe varies as a(t)3 (cubed), the net
radiation energy in a closed universe decreases as 1/a(t) as the universe
expands. Where does the lost energy go? Since there is no pressure gradient
in the homogeneously distributed radiation (Cosmic Background Radiation,
CBR) the pressure does not act to accelerate the expansion of the
universe...The resolution of this apparent paradox is that while energy
conservation is a good local concept and can be defined more generally in
the special case of an isolated system in asymptotically flat space, there
is not a general global energy conservation law in general relativity
theory."
Needless to say I was shocked. The Laws of Conservation are one of a few
select group of concepts that survive the transition from Newtonian to
Relative physics. A few select Laws that even the most advance and cutting
edge research strive to adhere to, and yet here is one of the most respected
cosmologists saying these Laws don't hold. It's a new one to me that there
isn't a conservation of energy law in general relativity (GR). I've seen
entire explanations of GR based on conservation!
I know we've discussed this before but I must reapply the question. There
would seem to be a lack of research in this area. Certainly a global general
loss of energy has effects on the local scale!
Merlin
Paramedic, and amateur cosmologist.
Portland, OR