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THE ETERNAL SEQUENCE OF EXISTENCE
Reflections on the Phenomenon of Recurrence
Submitted March 9, 2000

Bessel Van't Woudt

Life can develop under suitable conditions, but it is temporary, as is matter surrounding us. The temporary status implies a change from one form to another, necessarily without loss of energy, energy being indestructible.

The sequence in form implies going from concentrated to dispersed energy, a process referred to as entropy. Progressive dispersal of energy implies continual expansion of the universe, presunably until energy is so dispersed that further expansion is hardly possible. The question arises: is unending entropy a reality or can there be a reversal from dispersed to concentrated energy ?

This leads to antimatter (or its precursor, see below) with electric charges opposite to those in matter. Antimatter should match matter throughout. but except in traces, it has remained unobservable from earth.

The presumed absence led to a proposal that the forerunners of two volumes of matter and one volume of antimatter caused the latter to disappear just after the big bang. The evidence for this is still rather unsure, with the consequence that persistence of antimatter in the universe to-day is by no means an impossibility. Invisible antimatter to-day could be explained if it stayed in a disperse state, that is without atom or molecule formation, such as applies to matter. In fact, recent work indicates that antimatter does not behave like matter at the subatomic level, even though how it does behave was not yet made clear.

Unseen antimatter may well survive in the vast space between stars and galaxies, provided it is delineated by a magnetic shield, for which there is increasing belief, if not evidence. Where such a shield is pierced, annihilation of matter and antimatter occurs with violent release of energy. This is potentially observable from earth, perhaps explaining some violent phenomena of obscure origin.

Knowledge of antimatter has remained restricted because any contact by it with matter (which surrounds us) leads to mutual annihilation with a release of energy represented by the two structures. This results in two jets, one opposite the other, one leading to matter and one with an antimatter background, as was illustrated by observations arising from the recent creation of the top quark.

A persisting antimatter background should be pulled into black holes. This should lead to an annihilation process within a black hole, still an entirely new concept by present-day knowledge. Nevertheless, observations of two jets, one opposite the other, emanating from galactic centres, point in that direction.

However, the way matter and antimatter reach a black hole would remain a puzzle if one assumes that a black hole is in a stationary central position within a galaxy. Just as valid an assumption could be that a black hole is part of a rotating system, with an opportunity to collect en route. The proportion of matter and antimatter that is collected would determine whether a black hole grows or is exterminated.

The above suggests an alternative to the big bang theory. The proposed role of black holes leads to a cyclic universe by which energy, even though still subject to dispersal, is reconcentrated from time to time. "


Frank Andrews, Astronomer, Carter Observatory, Wellington, N.Z. May 30, 2000

Dear Frank.
Black holes as regenerating mechanisms

Your comments of 4/4. paragraph by paragraph, has been much appreciated.. It took some time to have them reviewed by my cobbers, here and overseas. Even though amateurs (as we all are in this field) we persist in adhering to a cyclic universe, without thermodynamic infinity and without energy that is not in one form or other.

In the notes on Eternal Sequence of Existence a cyclic universe was proposed that is one without thermodynamic infinity and without energy that is not in one form or other. Within a cyclic universe energy can be in a concentrated form , as in matter, or in dispersed form, as in space/time. If there were no reversal, all energy would ultimately end up as space/time.

One likes to think that the latter is counteracted by some process of regeneration, most likely through black holes. One has been ascribing jets from galactic centres arising from material flowing into black holes rather than originating from the black holes themselves. The latter requires some regenerating mechanism within the black holes. If an original idea that this were provided by the meeting of matter and antimatter in black holes does not hold, there is another possibility.

If one considers space/time to be part of the spectrum "matter, radiation, space/time" one goes from vibration to increasing wavelength, that of space/time probably being unmeasurable to us. If space/time were the inflow material into a black hole, on compression this would lead to ever decreasing wavelength till explosion leads to two opposing jets (one of matter and probably of antimatter). One problem is: if this mechanism were a reality, how can megaholes develop? Are the latter a reality ?

Within a cyclic universe one wonders about a need to chase after elusive, possibly non-existent dark matter, but still leaving questions about the existence and the role of antimatter, that affects part of the spectrum.