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- What’s the difference between “ Dark Energy” expanding the Universe and “ Cosmic Inflation Theory” expanding the Universe? And, what does the Universe expansion have to do with “ String Theory”?
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-The Big Bang Theory was first proposed in 1927. Running the expanding Universe backwards in time puts everything together at a single point 13,700,000,000 years ago.
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- The Cosmic Microwave Background discovered in 1964 is consistent with the Big Bang Theory. So is Nucleosynthesis creation of the first neutral atoms, Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, the 3 lightest elements created during the Big Bang.
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- However, another theory was needed to explain how the Universe was perfectly uniform at distances separated by more than 13.7 billion lightyears. Those two regions had to have been together in order to be the same and they and to separate faster than the speed of light.
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- Secondly, the expansion of the Universe is nearly “ geometrically flat” It is at a balancing point for gravity to pull it backwards and a Dark Energy for expanding it forever.
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- To explain these coincidences Alan Guth in 1981 proposed the Cosmic Inflation Theory. His team at MIT proposed that space did expand faster than the speed of light for a short period immediately after the Big Bang. The expansion only lasted for 10^-34 seconds. But, during that short time space expanded by a factor of 10^50. Obviously, there must have been a high energy field that near instantaneously created this rapid expansion.
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- Called a “ false vacuum” that decayed to a real vacuum releasing energy in the form of an antigravity force.
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- Cosmic Inflation remains a theory but experiments and measurements so far don’t dispute it. The theory does explain how the geometry of the Universe could appear “flat”. Similar to how the Earth appears flat because the sphere is so large. The ratio of Earth’s surface to size is small compared to the ratio in Cosmic Inflation. Expanding the sphere of our curved surface by 3, then be 3, then by 3 again and you appear to be standing on a “ flat” surface looking at the horizon. To relate this to Cosmic Inflation you would need to expand the sphere 87 more times.
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- However, if theoretically you can think of this inflation happening you can answer the questions of why the Universe appears to be flat and smooth and uniform is all directions. But, what causes Cosmic Inflation to happen in the first place?
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- Tiny, string-like loops of energy could be the Universes’ basic form of matter-energy and some strings could reach cosmic size. These Cosmic Strings could have triggered the formation of galaxies shortly after the Big Bang.
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- These strings come from cracks in the Universes’ phase transitioning from Cosmic Inflation to and current expanding Universe. The cracks created thin, super dense strings of matter-energy that are exceedingly thin yet carry enormous strength.
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- If the strings are exceedingly dense they could act as gravitational lenses. Calculations and simulations put these Cosmic Strings spaced 325 million lightyears apart throughout the Cosmos. About the distances of galaxy clusters today. The nearest could be 10,000 lightyears away.
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- These are Cosmic Strings. Most people understand “ String Theory” to be the smallest possible structures for matter and energy. This search all started when it was discovered that matter was made up of atoms. Atoms were small indestructible particles that make up all mater. Each element of matter having a different atom.
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- Later, science discovered atoms are made up of smaller particles, and mostly nothing but empty space. There was a nucleus at the center and electrons orbiting the nucleus like planets orbiting the Sun. The hydrogen atom was mostly space with the nucleus 1,297 times heavier than the single electron in orbit. (1)
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- Still later, science found the nucleus to be made up of protons and neutrons and most recently protons and neutrons to be made up of Quarks.
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- The study of particle physics uses the math of Quantum Mechanics. The fundamental electrons are held by the Electromagnetic Force. The force particles being photons. The Quarks are held in protons by the Strong Nuclear Force. The force particle being Gluons. The neutrons held from decay by the Weak Nuclear Force and all three of these forces acting at short distances compared to the force of Gravity that is the weakest but acting on large masses over great distances.
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- The quest is to unify all 4 of these fundamental forces of nature.
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- String Theory is one of the unifying proposals.
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- Basically one - dimensional strings of pure energy comprise all the fundamental particles and they are held together in 3 spatial dimensions, the Time dimension, and 6 more extra dimensions.
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- The string’s vibrations create the fabric of space. And, different vibrations create all the particles and forces.
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- If Supersymmetry Theory is correct every elementary particle has a massive super partner particle. Superstring Theory tries to tie these principles of Supersymmetry , the 10 superstring dimensions, and Gravity all together into one single theory.
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- Supersymmetry Theory allows the force carrying particles to transform into one another. Example: Photons transforms into Gluons and vise versa. It also has a force carrying particle for Gravity, called the Graviton.
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- So far, none of these theoretical particles have been observed to exist.
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- Supersymmetry partners have names like this:
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---------------------- electrons ----------------- selectrons
---------------------- photons ------------------ photinos
---------------------- quarks -------------------- squarks
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- The extra dimension beyond the 3 spatial ones we operate in appear as 6 additional coordinates attached to each point everywhere in space.
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- Is String Theory simply creating obscure objects out of pure mathematics?
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- Today’s Standard Model of Particle Physics combines Electroweak Theory ( combining Electromagnetic Force with the Weak Nuclear Force) with the Strong Nuclear force in math called “ Quantum Chromodynamics” ( QCD ).
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- The Standard Model and these existing Theories have no place for 95% of the Universe believed to be made of Dark Matter and Dark Energy. And, that still leaves out the “vacuum of space”.
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- So, all our experiments work with 5% of the Universe that we can observe. These Cosmic Strings and particle strings are theories trying to understand the other 95% of the “Observable” Universe. God only knows what is beyond the Observable Universe. If it expanded faster than light we don’t get to ever observe it. If it is so small as 10^-35 centimeters we don’t get to observe that either. When you are working in the Dark you have only your brain’s imagination to figure things out. That is where these theories are coming from. Stay tuned, there is a lot more to learn.
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- (1) The weight of a proton = 1.167282 * 10^-27 kilograms. The weight of an electron = 9 * 10^-31 kilograms. Ratio = 1,297.
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