Cosmological Significance Research Articles

A novel method to determine the redshifts of active galaxies based on wavelet transform

Automatically determining redshifts of galaxies is very important for astronomical research on large samples, such as large-scale structure of cosmological significance. Galaxies are generally divided into normal galaxies and active galaxies, and the spectra of active galaxies mostly have more obvious emission lines. In the present paper, the authors present a novel method to determine spectral redshifts of active galaxies rapidly based on wavelet transformation mainly, and it does not need to extract line information accurately. This method includes the following steps: Firstly, we denoised a spectrum to be processed; Secondly, the low-frequency spectrum was extracted based on wavelet transform, and then we could get the residual spectrum through the denoised spectrum subtracting the low-frequency spectrum; Thirdly, the authors calculated the standard deviation of the residual spectrum and determined a threshold value T, then retained the wavelength set whose corresponding flux was greater than T; Fourthly, according to the wavelength form of all the standard lines, we calculated all the candidate redshifts; Finally, utilizing the density estimation method based on Parzen window, we determined the redshift point with maximum density, and the average value of its neighborhood would be the final redshift of this spectrum. The experiments on simulated data and real data from SDSS-DR7 show that this method is robust and its correct rate is encouraging. And it can be expected to be applied in the project of LAMOST.

The sun and exoplanets: The solitude of man

Solar pulsations with a period of P0 = 9600.606(12) were discovered in 1974. A more recent discovery is that planetary distances in the solar system are subject to spatial resonance with the parameter L0 ≡ cP0 ≈ 9600 ls and that the P0 pulsation itself has cosmological significance (coherent cosmic oscillation, or the pace of absolute time of the universe; c is the speed of light). As of June 2011, 552 extrasolar planets have been discovered. Statistical analysis shows that the distribution of the semimajor axes of alien planets does not have L0 resonance. Moreover, it appears to have no resonance at all. This frustrates the 20th-century hopes for the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations and possible contact with them. They are simply not there. This explanation of the Fermi paradox, or the Great Silence, appears to rest on the triumph of the anthropic principle, which has been successfully implemented by nature within our planetary system. This leads to a vision whereby the cosmos seems to be created specially for us. The scale L0 indicates that the sun is a special quantum object, where L0 is a wave function parameter that is not subject to the rational principles of the classical world, but rather follows a peculiar, quantum logic.

Calculation of lunar orbit anomaly

Studies of the Moon, with thanks to NASA and Johnson Space Center, have quantified an anomaly in measurements of lunar orbital evolution. This finding may have significance for cosmology and the speed of light. The Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment from Apollo reports the Moon’s semimajor axis increasing at a rate of 3.82 ± .07 cm/yr, anomalously high. Sedimentary data indicates a rate of only 2.9 ± 0.6 cm/yr. From historical eclipse records we can accurately calculate a rate of 2.82 ± .08 cm/yr. A detailed numerical simulation of lunar orbital evolution predicts 2.91 cm/yr. LLRE’s laser light differs from independent experiments by up to 12σ. Several possible explanations are considered. The author’s hypothesis proposes that the speed of light decreases at rate ċ/c = − 0.24 × 10− 10 yr− 1. This predicts that LLRE will differ by 0.935cm/yr, precisely accounting for the lunar anomaly.

Birth and growth of a two-dimensional universe

A master equation for the evolution of two-dimensional universe is derived based on the simplicial quantum gravity regarding the evolution as the Markov process of a space-time lattice. Three typical phases, expanding, elongating and collapsing phase, which have been found in the numerical simulation, are studied together with their boundaries, analytically. Asymptotic solutions of the evolution equation for statistical quantities, such as averaged area, boundary length, and correlation of fluctuations, are obtained for each phase and boundary.After introducing a physical time the cosmological significance of each phase is discussed.

'My spirit' in Genesis 6.1-4

AbstractGen. 6.1-4 is widely thought to stand in an indirect relationship to the flood narrative as an example of the wickedness (v. 5) that resulted in divine judgment. This article argues that Gen. 6.1-8 forms a unified introduction to the flood story and thus that 1) the withdrawal of the divine in 6.3 presages the flood and the destruction of everything that has the 'breath of life'; and 2) the 'sons of God, daughters of humankind' episode in Gen. 6.1-4, which points to human presumption in seeking to attain immortality through illicit liaisons with heavenly beings, is a primary motivation for that divine judgment. The designation of in 6.3 as belonging to God also indicates a close link with Gen. 1.2 (the only other such reference in the primaeval history) and suggests that has also a cosmological significance, playing a role in the divine victory over the chaotic waters (1.2), and when withdrawn (6.3) allowing those waters to return. is allows us to set Gen. 6.1-4 within the wider context of the primaeval history. It also has implications for the way we understand the role of the Spirit in creation; and so, too, in renewal and new creation.

Understanding the WMAP Cold Spot mystery

The Cold Spot (CS) at galactic coordinates (b = −57°, l = 209°) was discovered in the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)data as a cosmic background anomaly. In order to assess the cosmological significance of the Spot, we examine its properties using the cluster analysis of the local extrema in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) signal. We also check the hypothesis that the CMB signal has a non-Gaussian tail, localized in the low-multipole components. We constructed a linear filter, dividing the signal into two parts: non-Gaussian and Gaussian. Using the filter scale as a variable, we can maximize the skewness and kurtosis of the smoothed signal and minimize these statistics. We discovered that the shape of the CS is formed primarily by the components of the CMB signal represented by the multipoles between 10 ≤ ℓ ≤ 20, with a corresponding angular scale of about 5°–10°. This signal leads to the modulation of the CMB on the whole sky, clearly seen at |b| > 30° in both the ILC andWCM maps, rather than in a single localized feature. After subtraction of this modulation, the remaining part of the CMB signal appears to be consistent with statistical homogeneity and Gaussianity. We therefore infer that the mystery of the WMAP Cold Spot reflects directly the peculiarities of low multipoles of the CMB signal, rather than a single local (isolated) defect or the manifestations of a globally anisotropic cosmology.

Axionic shortcuts for high energy photons

We study the photon axion mixing in the presence of large extradimensions. The eigenvalues and eigenstates of the mixing matrixare analyzed and we establish the resonance condition for thetotal conversion of a high energy photon into a Kaluza-Klein (KK)axion state. This resonant transition, a photon transformed into aKK axion traveling freely through the bulk and converting backinto a photon, may provide a plausible explanation for thetransparency of the universe to energetic photons. If the brane welive in is curved, then there are shortcuts through the bulk,which the axion can take. Within our model, the photons having theappropriate resonance energy are using the axionic shortcut andarrive earlier compared to the photons which follow the geodesicon the brane. We suggest that such axionic shortcuts are at theroot of the dispersion of time arrival of photons observed by theMAGIC telescope. We indicate also the cosmological significance ofthe existence of axionic shortcuts for the photon.

µφυτος Λγος: A New Covenant Motif in the Letter of James

AbstractUnderstanding the significance of the of the implanted word in James 1:21 has divided between two lines of interpretation: (1) those that invest it with cosmological significance and understand it as something akin to human reason or (2) those who invest it with soteriological significance and relate it to Christian conversion. The argument in this article supports the soteriological line of reasoning and attempts to demonstrate through an examination of pagan, Jewish and Christian sources that the implanted word in James conveys the notion of divine enablement, a notion that was especially suited for articulating the hope of divine enablement for faithfulness promised in the new covenant of Jeremiah.

Bayesian source separation for cosmology

Recent satellite missions have provided and continue to provide us with vast amounts of data on radiation measurements that generally present themselves as superpositions of various cosmological sources, most importantly cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation and other galactic and extragalactic sources. We would like to obtain the estimates of these sources separately since they carry vital information of cosmological significance about our Universe. Although initial attempts to obtain sources have utilized blind estimation techniques, the presence of important astrophysical prior information and the demanding nature of the problem makes the use of informed techniques possible and indispensable. In this article, our objective is to present a formulation of the problem in Bayesian framework for the signal processing community and to provide a panorama of Bayesian source separation techniques for the estimation of cosmological components from the observation mixtures.

From Word to Image: VisualMidrash

From Word to ImageVisual Midrash Renata Stein (bio) Much of my work in recent years has been exploring the Hebrew Bible's hidden meaning, in part to counterbalance the excesses committed by a seemingly growing number of fundamentalist Bible thumpers of all denominations who insist that their narrow and very literal interpretation of the biblical narrative (and the world) is the only valid view. Judaism has always encouraged Jews—particularly those of the male persuasion—to engage with its sacred texts and give them new meaning in every generation. Click for larger view View full resolution Renata Stein, "Family Tree", detail. Photograph by Peter Goldberg [End Page 23] In art history, Christian artists have been turning to the Bible for understanding and commenting on the world for centuries. Jews, on the other hand, only emerged as professional artists during the 19th century, which makes visual midrash a more recent discipline in a rather text-based religion. Visual midrash interprets the biblical narrative through visualization and free association in a playful and imaginative way rather than analytically. Symbols reveal deeper aspects of what it means to be human that are inaccessible to empirical thought. While symbols transform physical reality into a modality of the spirit, it is the material that transports the meaning. Click for larger view View full resolution Renata Stein, "Let There Be Light." Photograph by Peter Goldberg [End Page 24] My visual vernacular is made of the discarded detritus and fragments of modern life, from old Hebrew book fragments, to scrap metal, hair, sand, and leaves. In dialogue with distressed, weathered surfaces, the words of the Bible turn into visual poetry: Sand tells the story of the earth and the sand of the deserts and streets relates to the wanderings of the Jews as refugees, nomads and exiles wandering from country to country. Hair is symbolically connected with strength, while signifying sacrifice at the same time. Click for larger view View full resolution Renata Stein, "Crossing the Line." Photograph by Peter Goldberg [End Page 25] My use of the Hebrew alphabet is based on a legend about Rabbi Channinah, who was burned alive by the Romans. When burning on the stake, Channinah's disciples asked him what he saw and he replied, "I see the parchment burning and the Hebrew letters rising up to the sky, forming new prayers." Jewish tradition has always provided Jews with hope and new life and there is no political power that can extinguish the divine spark of the human spirit. Visual midrash discloses the inner workings of human existence that are hidden from view. The ability to access the depths of the psyche creates an understanding of the multiplicity and paradox of our lives. This opening to our inner world gives us the freedom to transcend the limitations of our situation and arrive at an understanding of the other, the universal and the cosmological significance of all human endeavors. Click for larger view View full resolution Renata Stein, "Nomad Sand." Photograph by David Smith, Pittsburgh [End Page 26] Renata Stein Renata Stein is a mixed media artist living and working in New York. Her work makes use of everyday found objects that create a new visual language merging ordinary life with the poetic and symbolic. A native of Germany, Stein is also a translator, including, most recently, "How Healing Becomes Killing," an exhibit at the Holocaust Museum Houston, 2007. In addition, she has been the curator of the Leo Baeck Institute, New York/Berlin. Copyright © 2009 Bridges Association

Accretion of phantom scalar field into a black hole

Using numerical methods we present the first full nonlinear study of phantom scalar field accreted into a black hole. We study different initial configurations and find that the accretion of the field into the black hole can reduce its area down to 50 percent within time scales of the order of few masses of the initial horizon. The analysis includes the cases where the total energy of the space-time is positive or negative. The confirmation of this effect in full nonlinear general relativity implies that the accretion of exotic matter could be considered an evaporation process. We speculate that if this sort of exotic matter has some cosmological significance, this black hole area reduction process might have played a crucial role in black hole formation and population.

Sacred Giants: Depiction of Bombacoideae on Maya Ceramics in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize

Sacred Giants: Depiction of the Malvaceae Subfamily Bombacoideae on Maya Ceramics in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize This study categorized and identified plants depicted on Maya ceramics from the Classic Period (250 a.d.–900 a.d.). We chose art objects with a predominance of iconographic images of Malvaceae subfamily Bombacoideae, which are easily identified morphologically and have culinary, medicinal, ceremonial, economic, and cosmological significance to the Maya. Among ten species of Bombacoideae native to the Southern Lowlands region of Central America (Belize, parts of Guatemala, and Mexico), the Maya utilized at least six, which also have Maya names. We observed four or five bombacoid species depicted on Maya ceramics; most images were identifiable to genus. Burial urns and incensarios (incense burners) commonly had images of trunk spines of Ceiba pentandra, the Maya “World Tree.” Flowers of Pseudobombax ellipticum, a plant used to make ceremonial beverages, were most similar to floral images portrayed on vessels, bowls, and plates, although the morphologically similar flowers of Pachira aquatica may also be depicted. Plants representing Quararibea funebris or Q. guatemalteca, which were used during preparation of cacao beverages, were discernable on drinking vessels.

A˜‘a Kwara'ae: The Meaning of Tabu in a Solomon Islands Society

This paper examines the concept of tabu as employed by the Kwara'ae people of Malaita in Solomon Islands. Building upon previous studies of Malaitan societies, it shows how tabu not only governs relationships between ancestor spirits and men by opposing them to defiling relationships with women, but also forms a governing principle of all relationships in Kwara'ae society. Ultimately tabu appears to be a means of mediating relationships of power among both the living and the dead, and this is the source of its religious and cosmological significance.

Pierre Duhem, Entropy, and Christian Faith

The French physicist and polymath Pierre Duhem was strongly devoted to Catholicism but insisted that science and religion were wholly independent. In an article of 1905 he reflected at length on the relationship between physics and Christian faith, using as an example the cosmological significance of the laws of thermodynamics. He held that it was unjustified to draw cosmological consequences from thermodynamics or any other science, and even more unjustified to draw consequences of a religious nature. I place Duhem’s thoughts on “the physics of a believer” in their proper contexts by relating them to the late-nineteenth-century discussion concerning the meaning and domain of the law of entropy increase. I also consider Duhem’s position with respect to Catholic science and culture in the anticlerical Third Republic.

Dwarf galaxies and the Magnetisation of the IGM

AbstractWith the operation of LOFAR, a great opportunity exists to shed light on a problem of some cosmological significance. Diffuse radio synchrotron emission not associated to any obvious discrete sources as well as Faraday rotation in clusters of galaxies both indicate that the intergalactic or intracluster medium (IGM, ICM) is pervaded by a weak magnetic field, along with a population of relativistic particles. Both, particles and fields must have been injected into the IGM either by Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) or by normal star-forming galaxies. Excellent candidates for the latter are starburst dwarf galaxies, which in the framework of hierarchical structure formation must have been around in large numbers. If this is true, one should be able to detect extended synchrotron halos of formerly highly relativistic particles around local starburst or post-starburst dwarf galaxies. With LOFAR, one should easily find these out to the Coma Cluster and beyond.

(No) Eternal inflation and precision Higgs physics

Even if nothing but a light Higgs is observed at the LHC, suggesting that the Standard Model is unmodified up to scales far above the weak scale, Higgs physics can yield surprises of fundamental significance for cosmology. As has long been known, the Standard Model vacuum may be metastable for low enough Higgs mass, but a specific value of the decay rate holds special significance: for a very narrow window of parameters, our Universe has not yet decayed but the current inflationary period can not be future eternal. Determining whether we are in this window requires exquisite but achievable experimental precision, with a measurement of the Higgs mass to 0.1 GeV at the LHC, the top mass to 60 MeV at a linear collider, as well as an improved determination of αs by an order of magnitude on the lattice. If the parameters are observed to lie in this special range, particle physics will establish that the future of our Universe is a global big crunch, without harboring pockets of eternal inflation, strongly suggesting that eternal inflation is censored by the fundamental theory. This conclusion could be drawn even more sharply if metastability with the appropriate decay rate is found in the MSSM, where the physics governing the instability can be directly probed at the TeV scale.

Solution of a braneworld big crunch/big bang cosmology

We solve for the cosmological perturbations in a five-dimensional background consisting of two separating or colliding boundary branes, as an expansion in the collision speed V divided by the speed of light c. Our solution permits a detailed check of the validity of four-dimensional effective theory in the vicinity of the event corresponding to the big crunch/big bang singularity. We show that the four-dimensional description fails at the first nontrivial order in (V/c){sup 2}. At this order, there is nontrivial mixing of the two relevant four-dimensional perturbation modes (the growing and decaying modes) as the boundary branes move from the narrowly separated limit described by Kaluza-Klein theory to the well-separated limit where gravity is confined to the positive-tension brane. We comment on the cosmological significance of the result and compute other quantities of interest in five-dimensional cosmological scenarios.

The interrelation between the generation of large-scale electric fields and that of large-scalemagnetic fields during inflation

The interrelation between the generation of large-scale electric fields and that oflarge-scale magnetic fields due to the breaking of the conformal invariance ofthe electromagnetic field in inflationary cosmology is studied. It is shown that iflarge-scale magnetic fields with a sufficiently large amplitude are generated duringinflation, the generation of large-scale electric fields is suppressed, and vice versa.Furthermore, a physical interpretation of the result and its cosmological significance areconsidered.

On the Raychaudhuri equation

The Raychaudhuri equation is central to the understanding of gravitational attraction in astrophysics and cosmology, and in particular underlies the famous singularity theorems of general relativity theory. This paper reviews the derivation of the equation, and its significance in cosmology.

Magnetohydrodynamics and Plasma Cosmology

We study the linear magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations, both in the Newtonian and the general-relativistic limit, as regards a viscous magnetized fluid of finite conductivity and discuss instability criteria. In addition, we explore the excitation of cosmological perturbations in anisotropic spacetimes, in the presence of an ambient magnetic field. Acoustic, electromagnetic (e/m) and fast-magnetosonic modes, propagating normal to the magnetic field, can be excited, resulting in several implications of cosmological significance.