Astro-particle physics in the quasi-steady state cosmology

Abstract

This work highlights the conceptual and theoretical issues underlying the quasi- steady state cosmology which was proposed by the F. Hoyle, G. Burbidge and the author as an alternative to the standard big band cosmology. In particular, it is argued that this cosmology offers the high energy particle physicists several challenging problems on the cosmology-panicle physics frontier. To begin with it is shown with the help of a toy model how the problems of spacetime singularity and violation of the energy momentum conservation law that are present in the standard cosmology can be avoided by introducing a scalar field minimally coupled to gravity and having its sources in events where matter is created. It is then shown that matter creation preferentially occurs near collapsed massive objects and the scalar field created at such mini-creation events has a feedback on spacetime geometry causing the universe to have a steady expansion as in the de Sitter model but with periodic phases of expansion and contraction superposed on it. The parameters of the toy model can be empirically fixed in relation to the cosmological observations thus providing tests of the theory. Next it is argued that the toy model arises from a deeper theory which is Machian in origin with the inertia of a particle determined by the rest of the particles in the universe in a long range conformally invariant scalar interaction. The characteristic mass of a particle created is then the Planck mass. The Planck particle decays quickly to baryons. It is shown that the inertial effects produced by the Planck particles during their brief existence generate the scalar field of the toy model while the inertial effects of the stable baryonic particles give the more familiar Einstein equations of relativity. The baryons into which the Planck particle decays from an SU3 octet which, in the high density - high energy environment of mini-creation event finally forms the nuclei of hydrogen, heliu m and other elements of low atomic masses. These predicted abundances match those actually found. Finally it is shown that extending the theory to the most general confor- mally invariant form automatically leads to the cosmological constant whose sign and magnitude are of the right cosmological order.