Problems in relativity and cosmology

• Main Author: Davidson, William
• Published: Royal Holloway, University of London 1958
• Subjects: 530.11; Theoretical Physics
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.703804

The thesis consists of three parts, dealing with three problems of relativity and cosmology whose titles and abstracts are as follows. PART I: THE THEORY OF OBSERVABLE CRITERIA FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE COSMOLOGICAL PROBLEM. A systematic derivation and critical analysis of observable relations in cosmology is presented. Many new formulae are obtained by the author. applicable to both an evolutionary universe and the steady state universe. It is demonstrated how the observable relations can in principle decisively distinguish between these two types of universe. The results are used to analyse the redshift data published by Humason, Mayall and Sandage in 1956. The author has also derived formulae to utilise the developing techniques of colour photometry and radio astronomy. These are applied to the Stebbins-Whitford type of analysis of distant spectra and to Rylefs phenomenon of colliding galaxies respectively PART II: GENERAL RELATIVITY AND MACH'S PRINCIPLE. Believing that cosmological solutions involving empty space at infinity are logically inadmissible in general relativity the author has generalised with certain restriction, an analysis by Einstein of Mach's Principle in quasi-Galilean space-time to an arbitrary space-time. It is shown that by adopting a steady state cosmology which recommends itself on The grounds of logical simplicity, general relativity can fully account for inertia. The presentation is considered to be a substantial improvement on a previous publication by the author. Additional supporting material is advanced together with a comprehensive historical and critical analysis of the problem. PART III: ThE MECHANISM OF STEADY STATE COSMOLOGY ACCORDING TO GENERAL RELATIVITY.The stationary exterior and interior solutions for a spherically symmetric concentration or rarefaction of mass in the steady state universe are obtained and analysed. It is shown that in a rarefaction the density of inertia becomes negative. These solutions are utilised in the development of a theory of the steady state as one of dynamic equilibrium, between matter on the one hand and radiation of negative average energy density on the other. It is shown that the creation of matter leads to the emission of gravitational waves carrying negative energy, and the view is put forward that a radiation field must be identified with a quantised gravitational field.