[Paper Review] The Principles of Self Creation Cosmology and its Comparison with General Relativity

Garth A. Barber|ArXiv.org|Dec 27, 2002

Cosmology and Gravitation Theories30 references3 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes Self Creation Cosmology (SCC) as a conformally equivalent alternative to General Relativity that resolves key cosmological and local anomalies—such as dark energy, the cosmological constant problem, Pioneer anomaly, Earth's spin-up, and apparent G-variation—by unifying Mach's principle and local energy conservation. The theory predicts a universe with Ω_total = 1/3 and Ω_dm = 2/9, naturally explaining cosmic acceleration without dark energy or inflation.

ABSTRACT

There are, at present, several gravitational and cosmological anomalies; the dark energy problem, the lambda problem, accelerating cosmological expansion, the anomalous Pioneer spacecraft acceleration, a spin-up of the Earth and an apparent variation of G observed from analysis of the evolution of planetary longitudes. These conundrums may be resolved in the theory of Self Creation Cosmology, in which the Principle of Mutual Interaction subsumes both Mach's Principle and the Local Conservation of Energy. The theory is conformally equivalent to General Relativity in vacuo with the consequence that predictions of the theory are identical with General Relativity in the standard solar system experiments. Other observable local and cosmological consequences offer an explanation for the anomalies above. The SCC universe expands linearly in its Einstein Frame and it is static in its Jordan Frame; hence, as there are no density, smoothness or horizon problems, there is no requirement for Inflation. The theory determines the total density parameter to be one third, and the cold dark matter density parameter to be two ninths, yet in the Jordan frame the universe is similar to Einstein's original static cylindrical model and spatially flat. Therefore there is no need for a 'Dark Energy' hypothesis. As the field equations determine the false vacuum energy density to be a specific, and feasibly small, value there is no 'Lambda Problem'. Finally certain observations in SCC would detect cosmic acceleration.

Motivation & Objective

• To address unresolved anomalies in cosmology and local gravity, including dark energy, the cosmological constant problem, and apparent variations in G.
• To propose Self Creation Cosmology (SCC) as a viable alternative to General Relativity that unifies Mach’s principle and local energy conservation.
• To explain the observed Hubble-scale anomalies—Pioneer acceleration, Earth's spin-up, and G-variation—through a single physical mechanism tied to cosmic time evolution.
• To demonstrate that SCC avoids the horizon, smoothness, and flatness problems without requiring inflation.
• To provide a falsifiable framework with testable predictions differing from GR, such as reduced geodetic precession in Gravity Probe B.

Proposed method

• Adopt a conformal transformation between the Einstein Frame (EF) and Jordan Frame (JF), where SCC is equivalent to GR in vacuum but differs in matter coupling.
• Implement the Principle of Mutual Interaction, which unifies Mach’s principle and local energy conservation, leading to time-dependent mass and gravitational constant in the EF.
• Use the field equations to derive a specific, finite false vacuum energy density, resolving the Lambda problem.
• Model the universe as linearly expanding in the EF and static in the JF, avoiding the need for inflation.
• Apply the theory to explain the anomalous Pioneer acceleration as a clock drift between ephemeris time (JF) and atomic time (EF).
• Predict secular variations in orbital parameters and rotational dynamics due to time-dependent mass and radius scaling: m(t) ∝ exp(H₀t), r(t) ∝ exp(−H₀t).

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can Self Creation Cosmology resolve the dark energy problem without invoking a cosmological constant or quintessence?
• RQ2 Does the observed Hubble-scale coincidence in the Pioneer anomaly, Earth's spin-up, and apparent G-variation point to a single underlying physical mechanism?
• RQ3 Can SCC explain the apparent variation in G without violating local conservation laws, given that GM remains invariant?
• RQ4 How does SCC account for the absence of horizon, smoothness, and flatness problems without requiring inflation?
• RQ5 What observable differences distinguish SCC from General Relativity, particularly in geodetic precession and photon behavior?

Key findings

• SCC predicts a total density parameter of exactly Ω_total = 1/3, consistent with observations of galaxy clustering and gravitational lensing.
• The cold dark matter density parameter is determined to be Ω_dm = 2/9, providing a natural explanation for galactic structure without dark energy.
• The theory resolves the Lambda problem by deriving a finite, non-zero false vacuum energy density that is naturally small and consistent with observations.
• In the Jordan Frame, the universe is spatially flat and static, resembling Einstein’s original static model, explaining CMB anisotropy observations without fine-tuning.
• The anomalous Pioneer acceleration is explained as a clock drift between ephemeris time (JF) and atomic time (EF), with a magnitude matching cH.
• Earth's observed spin-up (ΔT/day/cy ≈ −6×10⁻⁴ sec/day/cy) is predicted by SCC due to secular decrease in moment of inertia from time-dependent mass scaling, consistent with H₀ ≈ 67 km/s/Mpc.