Abstract
It is shown that spherically symmetric static general relativistic cosmological space-times can reproduce the same cosmological observations as the currently favored Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universes, if the usual assumptions are made about the local physical laws determining the behavior of matter, provided that the universe is inhomogeneous and our galaxy is situated close to one of its centers. Only (i) unverifiable a priori assumptions, (ii) detailed physical and astrophysical arguments, or (iii) observation of the time variation of cosmological quantities can lead us to conclude that the universe we live in is not such a static space-time.
Similar content being viewed by others
Reference
Weinberg, S. (1972).Gravitation and Cosmology (Wiley, New York).
Bills, G. F. R. (1971). “Relativistic Cosmology,” inGeneral Relativity and Cosmology, ed. Sachs, R. K. (Academic Press, New York).
Ellis, G., Maartens, R., and Nel, S. “The Universe ProbablyIs Expanding-but Maybe We're Near Its Center.”
Rees, M. J. (1971).Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.,154, 187; de Graaf, T. (1970).Astron. Astrophys.,5, 335.
Hawking, S. W., and Ellis, G. F. R. (1973).The Large Scale Structure of Space Time (Cambridge University Press, London), Chap. 10.
Ellis, G. F. R. (1975).Quart. J. R. Astron. Soc.,16, 245.
Harrison, E. R. (1974).Comments Astrophys. Space Phys.,6, 23.
Carter, B. (1974). “Large Number Coincidences and the Anthropic Principle in Cosmology,” inConfrontation of Cosmological Theories with Observational Data, I. A. U. Symposium No. 63 (D. Reidel, Dordrecht).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This essay was awarded the second prize for 1977 by the Gravity Research Foundation.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ellis, G.F.R. Is the universe expanding?. Gen Relat Gravit 9, 87–94 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00760145
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00760145