Chapter 335 Cosmological Constant! Stop the expansion of the universe?
The importance of general relativity to astronomy cannot be overstated in any language.
Throughout the 20th century, the research directions of physicists can be summarized into two.
One is very small and the other is very large.
Minimum refers to various microscopic particles.
They are the most basic particles that make up everything in nature.
The physical theory that studies them is quantum mechanics.
And maximum refers to the entire universe.
The general theory of relativity is the most important theory for studying the universe.
The theory of relativity includes special relativity and general relativity.
Maxwell's electromagnetic theory + quantum mechanics + special relativity form quantum electrodynamics.
This theory is dedicated to the study of electromagnetic force.
Quantum mechanics + general relativity form the quantum gravity theory.
The goal of this theory is to unify gravity into the four fundamental forces.
Of course, until Li Qiwei's later generations, there was no good progress.
This shows the status of the theory of relativity in the world of physics.
Early astronomy was almost all based on the general theory of relativity.
In the later stage, in fact, macro and micro are no longer distinguishable from each other.
Because what physicists study is how microscopic particles formed the universe we have today.
That's another topic.
More knowledge reserves are required.
Now, astronomers have just begun to have their own tools, and astronomy has not yet begun to flourish.
Today’s meeting, the astronomers present all believed that it was prepared for astronomy.
During this period, several conferences have been held in the field of astronomy regarding general relativity.
Because general relativity is so important to astronomy.
The five major predictions have a fatal attraction for every astronomer.
Many big guys and young scholars are flocking to it.
Of course, this does not mean that all astronomers agree with general relativity.
There will always be people who question or doubt the relationship between general relativity and the universe.
The American astronomer Levitra is one of them.
Now he stood up.
He knew that his doubts would definitely cause an uproar.
“Just kidding, so many big names in physics have not questioned it. What can you, an astronomer, question?”
Although the theme given by Bruce in today’s meeting is to question the general theory of relativity.
But the big guys present are very self-aware.
Those were Bruce's humble words. General relativity has stood at the pinnacle of physical theory.
If you want to question it, I am afraid it will make everyone despair.
But Levitt still did it.
He is also considered a big boss in the current field of astronomy.
What he cared about was never personal honor, but the future of astronomy as a whole.
For this reason, Levit believed that he had a responsibility to speak out his doubts.
He recalled the scene of Bruce's visit.
At that time, Bruce was already a leader in the physics community.
Every move touches the hearts of countless physicists.
But for other fields, especially astronomy.
Bruce's influence is much smaller.
So Levit did not attend the lecture at Princeton.
This incident is the one thing he regrets most.
And now, he will not let himself regret it anymore.
Eddington, Schwarzschild, and Hubble all looked towards Levitt.
I have great admiration for this senior in my heart.
“Since the general theory of relativity came out, people in the field of astronomy have been a little carried away.”
“Everyone just wants to use general relativity as a tool, but is unwilling to think about the theory itself.”< br>
"Professor Levitt is indeed a great leader in the field of astronomy. He has never lost his true nature."
At this moment, everyone became excited.
Everyone wants to see what kind of questions this astronomy master will ask.
Li Qiwei also looked at him with a smile. He was not very impressed with this big boss in his memory.
However, this does not mean that he will despise anyone.
Leaving a name in history definitely means being awesome, but without a name in history, it does not mean that the results are meaningless.
If you really want to study it carefully, the emergence of general relativity in real history is also full of various twists and turns.
There are many people whose achievements and contributions are not well known.
At this moment, Levit was slightly moved when facing the gaze of everyone in the auditorium.
However, he soon became firm and said:
"Hello, Professor Bruce, I am Levit."
"You are studying in the General Theory of Relativity" In the paper, five major predictions are given. ”
“The fifth prediction is the expansion of the universe.”
“According to the results of the Bruce field equation, the universe may be expanding.”
“My question is about the expansion of the universe. ”
“Is it possible that your field equation is wrong? You should add a cosmological constant.”
“This constant can be zero, positive or negative.”
"In short, with this cosmological constant, a certain force can be offset, making the universe static."
"Because the expansion of the universe is beyond human imagination."
“If the universe is expanding, is it the space itself that is expanding?”
“But space itself is empty, how should it expand?”
Boom!
Levit's question shocked everyone in the room.
This is simply a genius and bold idea.
I actually want to add a constant to the Bruce field equation so that the calculated universe will no longer expand.
It’s so terrifying!
“Oh God, it is true that there is no shortage of geniuses in the world, and astronomers are the ones who know the general theory of relativity best.”
"Professor Levitt is worthy of being a veteran in the field of astronomy. He sees the problem directly to its essence."
"He did not become a puppet of general relativity. Instead, he thinks with a critical attitude. It is really worth learning from us."< br>
“.”
For a time, everyone praised Levit.
This is a really good question.
Einstein even started calculating on the spot.
He discovered that adding a cosmological constant can really curb the expansion of the universe.
“Hiss!”
“You really can’t underestimate the world’s heroes.”
“There’s something about this Levito.”
The three Eddingtons were full of admiration.
They also have talents in the field of astronomy.
Who said astronomy is the same as biology.
We are different!
In the face of everyone's surprise and discussion, Li Qiwei remained calm and composed.
There was still a smile on his face, as if what Levi asked was not a fatal question, but simple arithmetic.
Everything is under control.
In real history, after Einstein proposed the field equation, he discovered that each solution to the equation represented a different universe.
But no matter which model of the universe, expansion will always occur at some point in its evolution.
This puzzled Einstein. He also believed that it was impossible for the universe to expand, which was a bit incredible.
So, he added a constant to his equation to regulate the expansion of the universe.
Various facts from later generations have proved that Einstein was wrong.
The universe is expanding, but the expansion is still accelerating!
The expansion speed has exceeded the speed of light.
Now, the general theory of relativity published by Li Qiwei has made up for all the defects and can be called the most perfect general theory of relativity. This is why people can’t ask questions.
If there is still something wrong with this, it would be really outrageous.
After more than a hundred years of testing, the correctness of the general theory of relativity is unbreakable.
It is impossible for anyone to prove it wrong.
But now, I didn’t expect that the inertia of history is so great.
Ridgway abandoned the cosmological constant, only to be picked up again by someone else.
He smiled and said:
“Professor Levitt, your question is very interesting.”
“To be honest, when I wrote down the field equation, in fact, I have the same idea as you.”
Wow!
The crowd was instantly shocked.
Everyone was surprised. It turned out that Bruce had thought of this a long time ago.
"Yes, with Bruce's level of genius, how could he not have thought of this."
"It seems that this problem has been solved. No wonder Bruce is so calm."
"It turns out that he has already surpassed us by several steps."
Levit was also moved. He didn't expect that the problem he was thinking about had been thought of by the original author.
He showed a wry smile.
As expected, Professor Bruce is not someone who can touch porcelain.
He is terrible.
Looking at everyone’s surprised expressions, Li Qiwei continued:
"But I found that this is actually wrong."
"Because my field equation was derived step by step, it is not a hypothesis."
"So, the final result is Whatever it is, it represents what my general theory of relativity is."
"Artificially adding a constant will only destroy the real truth."
"According to Occam's razor principle, such as Don’t add entities if it’s not necessary.”
"For the interpretation of the universe, I believe in my field equations."
Wow!
Li Qiwei’s determination and confidence shocked everyone present.
He has absolute confidence in his theory.
Because the universe is expanding, it is not a guess, but an inevitable result of the Bruce field equation.
If even the equations are wrong, then there is something wrong with the foundation of general relativity.
This is something Bruce will never tolerate.
At the same time, this also gives everyone a reminder.
If one day someone can prove that the universe is not expanding, it will mean that the general theory of relativity is wrong.
That will be an earth-shattering event that will shock the whole world.
Li Qiwei smiled and said: "I know that some of you are already thinking about questioning the general theory of relativity by proving that the universe is not expanding."
"I want to say that everyone is welcome to try, because your final result is certain ."
"That means the universe must be expanding."
"As for how to prove that the universe is expanding, I think that's up to you astronomers."
Humor. The words caused a burst of laughter.
What followed was thunderous applause.
Everyone was impressed by Li Qiwei.
Although Levit's question is novel, it lacks evidence after all.
And Li Qiwei’s answer is impeccable.
Because all results are calculated based on the Bruce field equation.
The field equations are derived based on two basic principles and Riemannian geometry.
The logic is rigorous and flawless.
In fact, Levit's problem is the same as questioning that light cannot bend.
As long as it can be proven that light does not bend, the general theory of relativity can also be denied.
But no matter what, his concept of the cosmological constant still left a deep impression on the big guys.
This is a very in-depth consideration of general relativity that everyone should learn from.
Li Qiwei continued: "You can continue to think along Professor Levitt's question."
"Universal gravity causes celestial bodies in the universe to attract each other and tend to gather together."
“And the results of the field equations show that the universe is expanding.”
“Then there must be an expansion force that can offset the universal gravitation, or even be greater than the universal gravitation, so the universe can Expansion.”
"So what is this force?"
"I think these are problems that need to be solved in future cosmology."
"I hope you can join me in cosmology. If we carry it forward, one day we will correctly understand the nature of the universe."
Boom!
The astronomers present were extremely enthusiastic.
Li Qiwei described to them an extremely bright future.
Cosmology has already attracted the big guys present before it even started.
Eddington, Hubble, and Schwarzschild were even more excited and looked at each other.
They feel that their future career direction has been determined.
That’s cosmology!
Levit looked at the young scholars around him, their faces full of admiration and admiration.
I suddenly felt very emotional.
There has never been a day when astronomy has attracted the attention of the world as it does now.
Now the whole world is speculating on when astronomers will be able to prove the correctness of general relativity.
Because the five major predictions of general relativity are all related to astronomy.
Therefore, everyone takes it for granted that only astronomers can complete the proof work.
Levitt, as a big shot in astronomy, naturally knows that many people are currently trying silently.
Especially young astronomers are the most active.
This is a shortcut to fame.
No matter how many ordinary papers you publish, they can't compare to verifying one of the predictions.
Once a breakthrough is made, it will definitely be a big event that shocks the world.
I will immediately become a new star in the astronomy community.
"Perhaps by then, Professor Bruce's reputation will increase again."
"It will truly be known to the world."
Levitt immediately regained his energy. , in any case, this is a great good thing for astronomy.
He would just give his full support.
“Thank you very much for your answer, Professor Bruce.”
“I really hope someone can prove the five major predictions as soon as possible, especially the expansion of the universe, it is so important.”
Li Qiwei suddenly said in a wicked way: "I believe that day will not be long, Professor Levitt."
"I feel that Hubble has a good chance of proving it."
< br>
"He's a very good young man, very creative."
Boom!
As soon as he finished speaking, there was an uproar in the venue.
Professor Bruce actually praised Hubble again in public.
This is already the second time.
"Wow, Hubble is really loved by Professor Bruce."
"God, if Professor Bruce praises me like this, I should be able to graduate with a doctorate tomorrow."
>"You only think this is a good thing, but how much pressure will Hubble bear?"
At this moment, Hubble's blood was boiling, and he felt like he was about to explode.
It was an indescribable feeling.
It seemed like the eyes of the whole world were on him.
Hubble is in a state of extreme excitement.
Not only was he not stressed, he took a deep breath and fell into absolute calm.
"I will never let down Professor Bruce's expectations."
At this moment, another person suddenly stood up.
Eddington and others exclaimed, it was another astronomer, the Dutch astronomer Kaptan.
In real history, his and Levitt's work laid the foundation for Hubble's future results.
Everyone is curious, does this boss also have doubts about the general theory of relativity?
(End of this chapter)