Abstract
Georges Lemaitre introduced the term phoenix universe to describe an oscillatory cosmology with alternating periods of gravitational collapse and expansion. This model is ruled out observationally, because it requires a supercritical mass density and cannot accommodate dark energy. However, a new cyclic theory of the universe has been proposed that evades these problems. In a recent elaboration of this picture, almost the entire universe observed today is fated to become entrapped inside black holes, but a tiny region will emerge from these ashes like a phoenix to form an even larger smooth, flat universe filled with galaxies, stars, planets, and, presumably, life. Survival depends crucially on dark energy and suggests a reason why its density is small and positive today.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2231-2235 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | International Journal of Modern Physics D |
Volume | 18 |
Issue number | 14 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 31 2009 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Mathematical Physics
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science