Class 2 : The Cosmological Principle

This class
A reminder about Hubbles Law Definition of The Cosmological Principle Homogeneity and Isotropy

Definitions Observational motivation

CP, Relativity, and frames of reference

I : Crucial ASTR121 reminder HUBBLES LAW!

Edwin Hubble discovered that the Universe is expanding!

Specifically, he measured the distance and velocity of (nearby) galaxies he found that

This is called Hubbles Law. The constant H0 is called Hubbles constant. Current estimates are H0=71km/s/Mpc

Example of a galaxy spectrum

II : The Cosmological Principle

Early history of cosmology is largely the realization that we do not occupy a special place in the Universe

Once though that Earth was at center of solar system now we know were not. Once thought that Solar System was at center of the Galaxy now we know were not. Once thought that our Galaxy was the dominant structure in the Universe now we know that its a pretty typical galaxy

Definition : The Cosmological Principle (or Copernican Principle) states that the Universe looks the same where-ever you are and whichever direction you look

Two immediate consequences of the Cosmological Principle

Universe is homogeneous : every place in the universe has the same conditions as every other place, on average. Universe is isotropic : there is no preferred direction in the universe, on average.

Questions (discussion in class):

Is it possible to have a space which is homogeneous but not isotropic? Is it possible to have a space which is isotropic but not homogeneous?

Why do we need the Cosmological Principle?

Cosmology involves using the machinery of General Relativity to model our Universe In detail, Universe is an incredibly complex place would be impossible to analyze mathematically if there were no simplifying principle Assumption of homogeneity and isotropy gives us the simplification that we need

Of course, we would be foolish to use CP if it wasnt actually suggested by data!!

Evidence for homogeneity and isotropy comes from galaxy surveys, observations of Cosmic Microwave Background, uniformity of elemental abundances

Each point is a bright galaxy

z=0.033

CfA redshift survey 8/18/11 9

Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Galaxies color coded by the age of their stars

http:// www.sdss.org

8/18/11

10

z=0.20

Las Campanas Redshift survey

Max distance ~ 109 pc !

8/18/11

11

Almost uniform intensity of microwaves in all directions (isotropic 2.7K black body radiation)

Question : Hubble showed that (almost) all galaxies are moving away from us with velocity proportional to distance... It seems that we are at the center of the expansion! How is this consistent with the homogeneity assumption?

III : The Cosmological Principle, Relativity, and frames of reference

Cosmology is based on Relativity Theory (Special and General) which rests on the assumption that physics is the same all (inertial) frames of reference. Does that mean that there is no preferred frame of reference in the Universe?

No! A preferred frame sneaks into the theory via the imposition of the homogeneity assumption Homogeneity states that, at a moment, the Universe has the same average properties no matter where you are so we are imposing uniformity across a spatial slice of the spacetime (i.e. set of all points in spacetime that are simultaneous to each other) But the notion of simultaneity changes when once chances frame of reference so, in expanding Universe, homogeneity can only be true in some particular frame of reference Thus, homogeneity picks out a cosmological rest frame

Subtracting off the mean level leaves a dipole pattern motion of Earth wrt cosmological rest frame