Plasma Theory
The "plasma theory," which rejects the big bang theory, is a recent and controversial concept of cosmology. Swedish Nobel laureate Hannes Olof Göst Alfvén is the chief proponent of the theory. He and his colleagues discredit the big bang theory in favor of electrical and magnetic processes involving plasma (hot electrical conducting gases). While the big bang cosmologists claim over 90 percent of the universe is invisible, primarily composed of dark matter, plasma theorists believe 99 percent of the matter is composed of plasma. The big bang universe is based solely on terms of gravity, using Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity; the plasma theory is based on electromagnetism.
Electrical currents in the plasma interact with each other to produce swirling filaments. These filaments concentrate matter and makes it clump together, which increases the swirl, which causes more matter to clump, and so forth. To the plasma theorists, this concept would account for the formation of the solar system, other stars and entire galaxies.
Alfvén believes the logic behind the big bang theory is all backward. Instead of formulating elaborate theories and then looking for evidence to support them, Alfvén believes in making observations first then developing theories that agree with what has been observed. Evolution of the cosmos eons ago must be explainable with what is occurring today. Creating invisible matter and exotic subatomic particles, as the big bang proponents have done, is not acceptable to Alfvén; there is no need for the grand unified theory that Stephen Hawking is attempting to fathom.
The plasma theorists have no use for objects like black holes in galactic cores that produce intense amounts of energy. They suggest that a galaxy spinning in a magnetic field produces electricity. The electrical current flows along filamentary spirals to the galactic core and, from there, out along the axis of the spin. Then the current "short-circuits," sending energy back into the core and producing a powerful electrical field that ejects intense bursts of electrons and ions along the axis.
Not all discoveries that have become fundamental to the big bang concept are dismissed by Alfvén; to the contrary, he uses some to support his theory. For example, according to Alfvén, the cosmic background radiation is not the remnant of a big bang. Rather it is caused by energy in supernova explosions that is absorbed by interstellar dust, then re-emitted in all directions into space. The big bang theory was created to account for the expansion of the universe that Edwin Powell Hubble discovered in 1929. Plasma theorists suggest the expansion was caused by the annihilation of matter and antimatter.
Matter and antimatter were both created in separate regions of the early universe. This early universe contracted, because of its own gravitational attraction, bringing these two materials together. The resulting annihilation produced huge amounts of electrons and positrons that forced the plasma apart, the motion of which continues today. NASA announced in April, 1992, that its Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite had detected ripples dating back to within 300,000 years of the big bang. Many astronomers hailed this news as proof that the primordial explosion, without a doubt, occurred. The plasma theorists will undoubtedly disagree.
This is the complete article, containing 525 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
