J.V. Narlikar

Mach's principle and the creation of matter

Accurate experiments have shown that the local inertial frame is the one with respect to which the distant parts of the universe are non-rotating. This coincidence, first noticed by Newton, later led to the formulation of Mach’s principle. It is known that relativity theory by itself cannot explain this coincidence. The introduction of a scalar ‘creation field’ into the theory is likely to improve the situation. Calculation shows that the continuous creation of matter has the effect of smoothing out any irregularities in the universe as it expands, while rotation, if present, becomes less and less. This explains the observed remarkable degree of homogeneity and isotropy in the universe.

A New Theory of Gravitation

A new theory of gravitation is developed. The theory is equivalent to that of Einstein in the description of macroscopic phenomena, and hence the situation is the same so far as the classical tests of general relativity are concerned. The new theory differs in its global implications, however. There are two main differences of principle. In the usual theory, the negative sign of the constant of proportionality –8πG which appears in the field equations Rik – ½gikR = –8πGTik is chosen arbitrarily. In the present theory there is no such ambiguity; the sign must be minus. Further, the magnitude of G follows from a determination of the mean density of matter, thereby enabling the cosmologist to know how hard he will hit the ground if he is unfortunate enough to fall over a cliff. The second point of principle is that the equation Rik = 0 for an empty world in Einstein theory becomes meaningless; there is no such thing as an ‘empty’ world; in the present theory emptiness demands no world at all. Nor can there be a world containing a single particle, the least number of particles is two.

A quasi-steady state cosmological model with creation of matter

A universe is envisioned in which there was a major creation episode when the mean universal density was about 10 to the -27 g/cu cm. Explicit equations are given for the creation of matter; in a cosmological approximation, these equations lead to expressions for the time-dependence of the cosmological scale factor S(t), but do not entail, as big bang cosmology does, that S(t) tend to zero at some finite time t. The equations therefore possess a universality that is absent from big bang cosmology. Creation occurs when certain conservation equations involving the gradient of a scalar field C(i) are satisfied.

Janibacter hoylei sp. nov., Bacillus isronensis sp. nov. and Bacillus aryabhattai sp. nov., isolated from cryotubes used for collecting air from the upper atmosphere

Three novel bacterial strains, PVAS-1(T), B3W22(T) and B8W22(T), were isolated from cryotubes used to collect air samples at altitudes of between 27 and 41 km. Based on phenotypic characteristics, chemotaxonomic features, DNA-DNA hybridization with the nearest phylogenetic neighbours and phylogenetic analysis based on partial 16S rRNA gene sequences (PVAS-1(T), 1196 nt; B3W22(T), 1541 nt; B8W22(T), 1533 nt), the three strains were identified as representing novel species, and the names proposed are Janibacter hoylei sp. nov. (type strain PVAS-1(T) =MTCC 8307(T) =DSM 21601(T) =CCUG 56714(T)), Bacillus isronensis sp. nov. (type strain B3W22(T) =MTCC 7902(T) =JCM 13838(T)) and Bacillus aryabhattai sp. nov. (type strain B8W22(T) =MTCC 7755(T) =JCM 13839(T)).

Time Symmetric Electrodynamics and the Arrow of Time in Cosmology

This paper seeks to establish a connexion between the local arrow of time given by the electromagnetic radiation and the cosmological arrow of time given by the expansion of the universe. The Wheeler-Feynman absorber theory of radiation is applied to the expanding cosmological models. First, it is shown that the Schwarzschild-Tetrode-Fokker principle of direct interparticle action can be extended to the general Riemannian space-time. This generalization is considerably simplified in the conformally flat spaces—as all the Robertson—Walker spaces are. In the application of the absorber theory to various cosmological models, the refractive index turns out to play a crucial part. The ambiguities connected with the sign of the imaginary part of the refractive index are resolved if two conditions are fulfilled: (i) a search is made for a self-consistent solution with full retarded (or advanced) solutions (ii) in an elementary theory the origin of the imaginary part of the refractive index is traced to the radiative reaction itself and not to the collisional damping considered by Hogarth. It is shown that full retarded solutions are consistent in the steady-state cosmology and full advanced solutions in the Einstein-de Sitter cosmology. Full advanced solutions are not consistent in the former and full retarded solutions in the latter. Some interesting implications of this result in the C-field approach to the steady-state cosmology are considered.

Electrodynamics of direct interparticle action. I. The quantum mechanical response of the universe

Abstract The present paper is the first of a series that seeks to obtain results in agreement with experience from a completely time-symmetric electromagnetic theory—i.e. which does not permit an ad hoc restriction to retarded solutions of time-symmetric equations. It is remarkable that the development of a wholly time-symmetric theory must be along lines entirely different from the usual electrodynamics. While a first quantisation of the particles can readily be carried out, there can be no separate quantisation of the field, since the field is wholly determined by the particles. This raises the question of how practical results that have hitherto been thought to arise from field quantisation can be obtained. The most immediate problem of this kind concerns the spontaneous transitions of atoms. Much of the present paper is directed toward showing that this problem can indeed be solved without the need for field quantisation. Although this question might appear simple compared to other issues in quantum electrodynamics—e.g. vacuum polarisation—it is not trivial in its implication, for the establishment of one such case provides a critical precedent. The path integral method of first quantisation is used to demonstrate that provided the Universe is a perfect absorber along the future light cone the usual formulae for level shifts and for spontaneous transitions can be obtained in a steady-state model of the Universe, but not in open Friedmann models.

The C-field as a direct particle field

It has been known for some years that a C-field, generated by a certain source equation, leads to interesting changes in the cosmological solutions of Einstein’s equations. The steady-state cosmology appears as an asymptotic case. The source equation has so far only been given in the macroscopic case of a smooth fluid. In the present paper we derive the source equation in terms of discrete particles. The method adopted is similar to that we have recently given for the generalization to Riemannian space of the Fokker action principle in the electromagnetic theory. In the latter, a 4-vector is defined in terms of the world lines of particles. The definition is such that the four-dimensional curl of the vector satisfies Maxwell’s equations, which are therefore identities. Similarly, C is a scalar defined in terms of the world-lines of particles, and the source equation used formerly then follows as an identity.

Inhomogeneities in the microwave background radiation interpreted within the framework of the quasi-steady state cosmology

We calculate the expected angular power spectrum of the temperature fluctuations in the microwave background radiation (MBR) generated in the quasi-steady state cosmology (QSSC). The paper begins with a brief description of how the background is produced and thermalized in the QSSC. We then discuss within the framework of a simple model the likely sources of fluctuations in the background due to astrophysical and cosmological causes. Power spectrum peaks at l ≈ 6-10, 180-220, and 600-900 are shown to be respectively related in this cosmology to curvature effects at the last minimum of the scale factor, clusters, and groups of galaxies. The effect of clusters is shown to be related to their distribution in space as indicated by a toy model of structure formation in the QSSC. We derive and parameterize the angular power spectrum using six parameters related to the sources of temperature fluctuations at three characteristic scales. We are able to obtain a satisfactory fit to the observational band power estimates of the MBR temperature fluctuation spectrum. Moreover, the values of the best-fit parameters are consistent with the range of expected values.

Detection of living cells in stratospheric samples

Air samples collected aseptically over tropical India at various stratospheric altitudes ranging from 20 to 41 km using cryosampler assemblies carried on balloons flown from Hyderabad have shown evidence of living microbial cells. Unambiguous evidence of living cells came from examining micropore filters on which the samples were recovered with the use of voltage sensitive lipophilic dyes that could detect the presents of active cells. Clumps of viable cells were found at all altitudes using this technique, and this conclusion was found to be consistent with images obtained from electron microscopy. Since the 41 km sample was collected well above the local tropopause, a prima facie case for a space incidence of these microorganisms is established. Further work on culturing, PCR analysis and isotopic analysis is in progress.

A conformal theory of gravitation

Certain aspects of the new theory of gravitation proposed in a recent paper are examined in greater detail. It is shown that in the smooth fluid approximation the familiar Einstein equations follow as a result of a specific conformal transformation. The equations of the the theory differ from those of Einstein in the neighbourhood of a particle, however. This is illustrated by means of an explicit solution. Criticisms of the theory by other authors are considered and discussed.