The Fluid Mechanics of Gravitational Structure Formation

Abstract

The standard model for gravitational structure formation in astrophysics, astronomy, and cosmology is questioned. Cold dark matter (CDM) hierarchical clustering cosmology neglects particle collisions, viscosity, turbulence and diffusion and makes predictions in conflict with observations. From Jeans 1902 and CDMHC, the non-baryonic dark matter NBDM forms small clumps during the plasma epoch after the big bang that ``cluster'' into larger clumps. CDM halo clusters collect the baryonic matter (H and He) by gravity so that after 300 Myr of ``dark ages'', huge, explosive (Population III) first stars appear, and then galaxies and galaxy clusters. Contrary to CDMHC cosmology, ``hydro-gravitational-dynamics'' HGD cosmology suggests the diffusive NBDM material cannot clump and the clumps cannot cluster. From HGD, the big bang results from an exothermic turbulent instability at Planck scales (10^{-35} m). Turbulent stresses cause an inflation of space and fossil density turbulence remnants that trigger gravitational instability at protosupercluster masses (10^{46} kg) in the H-He plasma. These fragment along plasma turbulence vortex lines to form protogalaxy masses (10^{42} kg) just before the transition to gas. The gas has x10^{-13} smaller viscosity, so it fragments at planetary and globular-star-cluster masses (10^{25} and 10^{36} kg) to form the baryonic dark matter (BDM). Observations from the Hubble Space Telescope show protogalaxies (PGs) in linear clusters reflecting their likely fragmentation on plasma vortex lines. From merging BDM planets, these PGs gently form small stars in globular clusters <1 Myr after the big bang without the dark ages, superstars, or reionization of CDM cosmology.