Related papers: Observers in an accelerated universe
We re-analyze the question of the use of cosmological observations to infer the present state and future evolution of our patch of the universe. In particular, we discuss under which conditions one might be able to infer that our patch will…
The evolution of the wave function in quantum mechanics is deterministic like that of classical waves. Only when we bring in observers the fundamentally different quantum reality emerges. Similarly the introduction of observers changes the…
Recently we proposed that the acceleration of the Universe could be due to gravity leaking to extra dimensions. This scenario gives an alternative to the cosmological constant or quintessence. In [astro-ph/0106274] the authors claimed that…
I review in these lectures our present understanding of the origin and evolution of the universe, making emphasis on the most recent observations of the acceleration of the universe, the precise measurements of the microwave background…
We argue that it is a fluctuational underpinning of the Quantum vacuum which on the one hand gives a stochastic character to the conservation laws, and on the other is required for explaining the recently observed acceleration of the…
The presence of dark energy in the Universe is inferred directly and indirectly from a large body of observational evidence. The simplest and most theoretically appealing possibility is the vacuum energy density (cosmological constant).…
Under the assumption that they are standard(isable) candles, the lightcurves of Type Ia supernovae have been analyzed in the framework of the standard Friedmann-Lema\^itre-Robertson-Walker cosmology to conclude that the expansion rate of…
We show that the late-time acceleration of the universe can be understood as a codimension-one bifurcation of the Friedmann dynamical system in the variables $(H,\Omega)$. At a critical value of the density-parameter combination, a…
We exploit the parallel between dynamical black holes and cosmological spacetimes to describe the evolution of Friedmann-Lema\^itre-Robertson-Walker universes from the point of view of an observer in terms of the dynamics of the apparent…
Is the Universe (a spatial section thereof) finite or infinite? Knowing the global geometry of a Friedmann-Lema\^{\i}tre (FL) universe requires knowing both its curvature and its topology. A flat or hyperbolic (``open'') FL universe is {\em…
The sequestering mechanism has been proposed as a remedy to the old cosmological constant problem of the non-gravitating vacuum energy in the matter sector. Here it is shown that an extension of this global constraint mechanism arises…
We review the broad status of cosmology and discuss a model of fluctuational cosmology in which the universe is created in a phase transition like phenomenon mimicking inflation, and which further consistently explains latest observations…
A model for the universe with both acceleration and deceleration is given. The model incorporates an initial acceleration, then a deceleration as has been observed by Schaefer in respect of gamma ray bursts, a second phase of acceleration…
The expansion of the observed universe appears to be accelerating. A simple explanation of this phenomenon is provided by the non-vanishing of the cosmological constant in the Einstein equations. Arguments are commonly presented to the…
If the universe expands exponentially without end, ``ordinary observers'' like ourselves may be vastly outnumbered by ``Boltzmann's brains,'' transient observers who briefly flicker into existence as a result of quantum or thermal…
These four lectures cover four topics in modern cosmology: the cosmological constant, the cosmic microwave background, inflation, and cosmology as a probe of physics at the Planck scale. The underlying theme is that cosmology gives us a…
One of the major pillars of modern cosmology theory is a period of accelerating expansion in the early universe. This accelerating expansion, or inflation, must be sustained for at least 30 e--foldings. One mechanism used to drive the…
Stationary observers in static spacetimes see falling objects spread exponentially fast, or fast-scramble, near event horizons. We generalize this picture to arbitrary cosmological horizons. We give examples of exponential fast-scrambling…
Shortly the vacuum component of the Universe from the geometry point of view and from the point of view of the standard model of physics of elementary particles is discussed. Some arguments are given to the calculated value of the…
Orbifold branes are studied in the framework of the 11-dimensional Horava-Witten heterotic M-Theory. It is found that the effective cosmological constant can be easily lowered to its current observational value by the mechanism of large…