Laws of physics are not the same everywhere
September 9th, 2010 - 5:23 pm ICT by ANILondon, Sep 9 (ANI): Defying Einstein’s equivalence principle, which states that the laws of physics are the same everywhere, researchers have found new evidence that supports the idea that we live in an area of the universe that is “just right” for our existence.
The controversial finding comes from an observation that one of the constants of nature appears to be different in different parts of the cosmos.
“This finding was a real surprise to everyone,” New Scientist quoted John Webb of the University of New South Wales in Australia as saying.
Even more surprising is the fact that the change in the constant appears to have an orientation, creating a “preferred direction”, or axis, across the cosmos.
That idea was dismissed more than 100 years ago with the creation of Einstein’s special theory of relativity.
But the new study focuses on the fine structure constant, also known as alpha.
This number determines the strength of interactions between light and matter.
Taking data from the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile Webb has observed that alpha varies in space rather than time.
The VLT data suggests that, elsewhere in the universe, the value of alpha is very slightly bigger than on Earth.
The difference in both cases is around a millionth of the value alpha has in our region of space.
Moreover, the team’s analysis of around 300 measurements of alpha in light coming from various points in the sky suggests the variation is not random but structured, like a bar magnet.
The universe seems to have a large alpha on one side and a smaller alpha on the other.
This “dipole” alignment nearly matches that of a stream of galaxies mysteriously moving towards the edge of the universe.
However, it does not line up with another unexplained dipole, dubbed the axis of evil, in the afterglow of the big bang.
Earth sits somewhere in the middle of the extremes for alpha.
If correct, the result would explain why alpha seems to have the finely tuned value that allows chemistry - and thus life - to occur.
Grow alpha by 4 per cent, for instance, and the stars would be unable to produce carbon, making our biochemistry impossible.
The study will be published in Physical Review Letters. (ANI)
- NASA'S WMAP project completes study of universe's oldest light - Oct 07, 2010
- Scientists discover what could be heaviest stable antinucleus - Apr 25, 2011
- Mysterious 'dark flow' may be sign of neighboring universe - Nov 17, 2009
- Radio telescopes to try taking first photo of black hole - Jan 16, 2012
- Researcher computes universe's expansion speed - Jul 28, 2011
- Scientists test theory that early universe was one-dimensional - Apr 21, 2011
- Telescope with world's most powerful digi cam to reveal universe's mysteries - Jun 18, 2010
- Why does the man on the moon gaze at us? - Mar 07, 2012
- Electromagnetism and gravity: Are they related? - Sep 20, 2011
- Is space just like a chessboard? - Mar 19, 2011
- Now, measure universe 3 times farther using super-sharp radio 'eye' - Feb 21, 2011
- NASA's mirror to peer into the past and reveal how first galaxies formed - Jan 08, 2010
- Racing gamma-ray photons prove that Einstein still rules - Oct 29, 2009
- NASA's IBEX spacecraft reveals space as never seen before - Aug 17, 2010
- New way to peer at hidden distant galaxies - Nov 05, 2010
Tags: afterglow, axis of evil, bar magnet, big bang, constants, edge of the universe, equivalence principle, fine structure constant, john webb, laws of physics, light and matter, millionth, new evidence, new scientist, new south wales, preferred direction, special theory of relativity, theory of relativity, university of new south wales, vlt