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Understanding Hubble’s Law and Universe Expansion

Hubble’s Law indicates that the universe is expanding uniformly, with space itself expanding rather than galaxies moving through pre-existing space. The expansion can be described mathematically using General Relativity and the Friedmann equation, which incorporates the cosmological principle that the universe is homogeneous and isotropic. Dark energy, represented by a constant in the Friedmann equation, may accelerate this expansion, challenging earlier beliefs of a static universe.

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12 views8 pages

Understanding Hubble’s Law and Universe Expansion

Hubble’s Law indicates that the universe is expanding uniformly, with space itself expanding rather than galaxies moving through pre-existing space. The expansion can be described mathematically using General Relativity and the Friedmann equation, which incorporates the cosmological principle that the universe is homogeneous and isotropic. Dark energy, represented by a constant in the Friedmann equation, may accelerate this expansion, challenging earlier beliefs of a static universe.

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bebeksgokgok
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Conclusion of Last Class: Hubble’s Law (that far away

galaxies recede faster) implies that the universe is


expanding uniformly in all directions, like a photocopy
enlargement.

Important Points:
1. It is space itself that is expanding, NOT the galaxies
rushing outward into previously existing empty space.
2. Things held together by gravity, like the galaxies
themselves, do not expand.
3. The redshift observed in Hubble’s Law is technically
due to wavelengths expanding with the expanding
space, not the Doppler effect, but the formulas are
the same as long as the redshift is small.
Why expanding?
First part of this class: Can the expansion be explained
by our best theory for the structure of space and time,
Theory of General Relativity?

How mathematically to describe the expansion?


• Postulate of GR: Mass and energy curve spacetime.
• Maybe the expansion is an aspect of this spacetime
curvature.
• Quantitative result of GR: Einstein equation (1915):

Very hard math describing spacetime curvature =


Very hard math describing distribution of matter & energy

The Einstein equation is not generally


solvable!
Einstein equation first simplified for our universe by
Friedmann, using a simplification called the cosmological
principle.

Cosmological Principle:
The universe is homogeneous
and isotropic.

Homogeneous: roughly the same in every location.


Isotropic: roughly the same in every direction.
Friedmann equation:
Slightly hard math describing scale factor & curvature =
Slightly hard math describing average density of matter
& dark energy

Usually solvable:
1. Measure curvature & change in scale factor ->
compute average density of matter & dark energy
2. Measure average density of matter & dark energy ->
compute change in scale factor & curvature

Note: “slightly hard” = integral calculus (MATH 141B)


“very hard” = tensor calculus (grad school)
What is this “Dark Energy” term that pops up?
• It is an extra constant term allowed in the solution
to the Friedmann equation (, capital lambda)
• If it is nonzero, it is a constant “extra” energy
possessed by empty space, called the cosmological
constant.
• If it is positive, it would act repulsively (opposite to
gravity), and accelerate the expansion of the
universe.
History of Solution:
1. Friedmann equation solved by Einstein (1922). Result: a
should be growing or shrinking, NOT constant.
2. BUT: Astronomers at that time (before Hubble) thought
that the universe was static, so Einstein set  positive to
balance gravity and force a static universe.
3. The expansion of the universe is discovered by Hubble
(1929).
4. Einstein realizes his original solution was OK after all. He
resets =0 in the solution, and calls  his “greatest
blunder”.

BUT, what is allowed often exists…


5. In 1999, several groups of astronomers attempt
to measure the slow down in the expansion due
to gravity…

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