Bernie -
Briefly, matter could come into existence from a state of zero energy if its mc^2 energy plus any kinetic energy were exactly cancelled by its negative gravitational potential energy. In the simplest case of 2 particles of mass m at a distance r, 2mc^2 - Gm^2/r = 0. In a more general case of a homogeneous distribution of matter, this corresponds to the spatially closed universes of Einstein's theory. The transition from a state of no particles to one of 2 (or of N) particles would be discontinuous but quantum theory allows such "jumps." Thus you need a correct quantum theory of gravitation to make this work rigorously & whether we have that or not is a matter of debate.
Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
----- Original Message -----
From: Dehler, Bernie
To: asa@calvin.edu
Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 5:12 PM
Subject: [asa] big bang question ... and the start of matter...
A question about the big bang.
As I understand it, at the moment 'before' the big bang, there was nothing material- not even an electron. After the big-bang, energy started converting to matter, according to
E=MC^2
Question- how can this equation balance at the very start, where M approaches 0? You have M approaches zero on the right side of the equation, and E approaching infinity on the left, correct? C is just a (relatively small) constant, so it can't have much of any effect. I'm wondering how this equation works, with the left side approaching infinity and the right approaching zero; but it is balanced.?
I understand that the theory breaks down as you get closer to the start of the big bang- any idea how close you can get to the big bang before breaks-how many atoms exist?
The "expelled" movie makes a big deal of science not knowing how life came from non-life. I wonder also about atoms coming from no matter-at one point there is no matter, then at another you've got electrons orbiting a nucleus.
If you can explain, please keep it short- to a few paragraphs.
...Bernie
"It's turtles all the way down!"
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Received on Mon May 5 18:07:40 2008
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