6th International Conference on New Frontiers in Physics (ICNFP2017)
Contribution ID: 1095 Type: Talk
Relativity with a preferred frame. Astrophysical and cosmological implications Monday, 21 August 2017 15:30 (30 minutes)
The present analysis is motivated by the fact that, although the local Lorentz invariance is one of thecorner- stones of modern physics, cosmologically a preferred system of reference does exist. Modern cosmological models are based on the assumption that there exists a typical (privileged) Lorentz frame, in which the universe appear isotropic to “typical” freely falling observers. The discovery of the cosmic microwave background provided a stronger support to that assumption (it is tacitly assumed that the privileged frame, in which the universe appears isotropic, coincides with the CMB frame). The view, that there exists a preferred frame of reference, seems to unambiguously lead to the abolishmentof the basic principles of the special relativity theory: the principle of relativity and the principle of universality of the speed of light. Correspondingly, the modern versions of experimental tests of special relativity and the “test theories” of special relativity reject those principles and presume that a preferred inertial reference frame, identified with the CMB frame, is the only frame in which the two-way speed of light (the average speed from source to observer and back) is isotropic while it is anisotropic in relatively moving frames. In the present study, the existence of a preferred frame is incorporated into the framework of the special relativity, based on the relativity principle and universality of the (two-way) speed of light, at the expense of the freedom in assigning the one-way speeds of light that exists in special relativity. In the framework developed, a degree of anisotropy of the one-way speed acquires meaning of a characteristic of the really existing anisotropy caused by motion of an inertial frame relative to the preferred frame. The anisotropic special relativity kinematics is developed based on the first principles: (1) Space-time transformations between inertial frames leave the equation of anisotropic light propagation invariant and (2) A set of the transformations possesses a group structure. The Lie group theory apparatus is applied as in [1] to define groups of transformations. The corresponding extension to general relativity, like the standard general relativity, is based on the existence of locally inertial frames and the equivalence principle. Despite the fact that, in the special relativity with a preferred frame developed as described above, the interval is not invariant but conformally modified under the transformations between inertial frames, the complete apparatus of general relativity can be applied based on the existence of an invariant combination which, upon a change of the time and space variables, takes the form of the Minkowski interval. However, to calculate physical effects, an inverse change of variables to the ‘physical’ time and space is needed. Among the applications of the relativity with a preferred frame, is a possible resolution of the so-named ‘acceleration problem’ which appeared after the discovery that the present expansion of the universe is accelerated, made using the luminosity distance versus redshift relation of type Ia supernovae. It is interpreted as that the time evolution of the expansion rate cannot be described by a matter-dominated Friedman-Robertson-Walker cosmological model of the universe. In order to explain the discrepancy within the context of General Relativity, a new component of the energy density of the uni- verse, known as Dark Energy (vacuum energy), with exotic properties is usually introduced, and also some other non-standard alternatives are considered. In the framework of the relativity with a preferred frame, the deceleration parameter in the luminosity distance - redshift relation is corrected such that the observed deceleration parameter can be negative. Thus, the observed negative values of the deceleration parameter do not exclude the Friedman dynamics corresponding to the matter-dominated decelerating universe. References
[1] Burde G.I.: Special relativity kinematics with anisotropic propagation of light and correspondence princi- ple. Found. Phys., Vol. 46, No 12, Pages: 1573-1597
Topic: Special Session: Astro-Cosmo-Gravity
Summary
Primary author: BURDE, Georgy (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) Presenter: BURDE, Georgy (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) Session Classification: Special session on Astro-Cosmo-Gravity
Track Classification: Special session on Astro-Cosmo-Gravity