Mach’s Principle of Inertia Is Supported by Recent Astronomical Evidence
Author(s)
Morley B. Bell*
ABSTRACT
Inertial mass is detected on Earth only when matter is accelerated or decelerated. Recently evidence has been reported for a low-level velocity oscillation with a period of 39 ± 1 Mpc (127 ± 3 Myr) superimposed on the Hubble flow. Like the Hubble flow, this oscillation is assumed to be an expansion and contraction of space itself. If space is oscillating as it expands and the Hubble flow contains a superimposed velocity ripple, matter on Earth will experience alternating accelerations and decelerations relative to the rest of the matter in the Universe. The acceleration curve can be obtained from the velocity oscillation curve simply by taking the magnitude of the derivative of the velocity curve and the acceleration curve is found here to have a period of 63.5 ± 1.5 Myr. Evidence has also been claimed recently for a ubiquitous ~62 ± 3 Myr periodic fluctuation superimposed on general trends in the fossil biodiversity on Earth. The periods of the acceleration curve oscillation and fossil biodiversity fluctuations are thus identical within the errors. A second, weaker fluctuation is also detected in both the Hubble flow and fossil biodiversity trends. They too have identical periods of ~140 Myr. From this excellent agreement, it is argued here that it is the oscillation in the Hubble flow, through an inertia-like phenomenon involving all the matter in the universe that has produced the fluctuations in the fossil biodiversity on Earth. This may represent the first instance where observational evidence supporting Mach’s Principle of Inertia has been found.
Inertial mass is detected on Earth only when matter is accelerated or decelerated. Recently evidence has been reported for a low-level velocity oscillation with a period of 39 ± 1 Mpc (127 ± 3 Myr) superimposed on the Hubble flow. Like the Hubble flow, this oscillation is assumed to be an expansion and contraction of space itself. If space is oscillating as it expands and the Hubble flow contains a superimposed velocity ripple, matter on Earth will experience alternating accelerations and decelerations relative to the rest of the matter in the Universe. The acceleration curve can be obtained from the velocity oscillation curve simply by taking the magnitude of the derivative of the velocity curve and the acceleration curve is found here to have a period of 63.5 ± 1.5 Myr. Evidence has also been claimed recently for a ubiquitous ~62 ± 3 Myr periodic fluctuation superimposed on general trends in the fossil biodiversity on Earth. The periods of the acceleration curve oscillation and fossil biodiversity fluctuations are thus identical within the errors. A second, weaker fluctuation is also detected in both the Hubble flow and fossil biodiversity trends. They too have identical periods of ~140 Myr. From this excellent agreement, it is argued here that it is the oscillation in the Hubble flow, through an inertia-like phenomenon involving all the matter in the universe that has produced the fluctuations in the fossil biodiversity on Earth. This may represent the first instance where observational evidence supporting Mach’s Principle of Inertia has been found.
Cite this paper
Bell, M. (2015) Mach’s Principle of Inertia Is Supported by Recent Astronomical Evidence. International Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 5, 166-172. doi: 10.4236/ijaa.2015.53021.
Bell, M. (2015) Mach’s Principle of Inertia Is Supported by Recent Astronomical Evidence. International Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 5, 166-172. doi: 10.4236/ijaa.2015.53021.
References
[1] Sciama, D.W. (1953) On the Origin of Inertia. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 113, 34-42.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/113.1.34 [2] Hoyle, F. and Narlikar, J.V. (1995) Cosmology and Action-at-a-Distance Electrodynamics. Reviews of Modern Physics, 67, 113-155.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.67.113 [3] Phipps, T.E. (1999) Meditations on Action-at-a-Distance. In: Chubykalo, A.E., Pope, V. and Smirnov-Rueda, R., Eds., Instantaneous Action-at-a-Distance in Modern Physics: Pro and Contra, Nova Science, Commack, 137-156. [4] Narlikar, J.V. (1999) Actions at a Distance in Electrodynamics and Inertia. In: Chubykalo, A.E., Pope, V. and Smirnov-Rueda, R., Eds., Instantaneous Action-at-a-Distance in Modern Physics: Pro and Contra, Nova Science, Commack, 19-34. [5] Bell, M.B. (2013) Interesting Evidence for a Low-Level Oscillation Superimposed on the Local Hubble Flow. Astrophysics and Space Science, 344, 471-477.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10509-012-1344-7 [6] Freedman, W.L., Madore, B.F., Gibson, B.K., Ferrarese, L., Kelson, D.D., Sakai, S., Mould, J.R., Kennicutt, R.C., Ford, H.C., Graham, J.A., Huchra, J.P., Hughes, S.M.G., Illingworth, J.D., Macri, L.M. and Stetson, P.B. (2001) Final Results from the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project to Measure the Hubble Constant. Astrophysical Journal, 553, 47-72.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/320638 [7] Bell, M.B. (2002) Evidence for Large Intrinsic Redshifts. Astrophysical Journal, 566, 705-711.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/338272 [8] Bell, M.B. (2002) Quasar Distances and Lifetimes in a Local Model. Astrophysical Journal, 567, 801-810.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/338754 [9] Bell, M.B. (2002) Evidence that an Intrinsic Component that is a Harmonic of z = 0.062 May be Present in Every Quasar Redshift. arXiv:0208320. [10] Bell, M.B. (2002) Discrete Intrinsic Redshifts from Quasars to Normal Galaxies. arXiv:0211091. [11] Bell, M.B. and Comeau, S.P. (2003) Intrinsic Redshifts and the Hubble Constant.
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0305060 [12] Bell, M.B., Comeau, S.P. and Russell, D.G. (2004) Discrete Components in the Radial Velocities of ScI Galaxies.
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0407591 [13] Bell, M.B. (2007) Further Evidence That the Redshifts of AGN Galaxies May Contain Intrinsic Components. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 667, L129-L132. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/522337 [14] Tifft, W.G. (1996) Global Redshift Periodicities and Periodicity Structure. Astrophysical Journal, 468, 491-518.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/177710 [15] Tifft, W.G. (1997) Global Redshift Periodicities and Variability. Astrophysical Journal, 485, 465-483.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/304443 [16] Bell, M.B. and Comeau, S.P. (2014) More Evidence for an Oscillation Superimposed on the Hubble Flow. Astrophysics and Space Science, 349, 337-442.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10509-013-1601-4 [17] Rohde, R.A. and Muller, R.A. (2005) Cycles in Fossil Diversity. Nature, 434, 208-210. [18] Melott, A.L. and Bambach, R.K. (2010) A Ubiquitous 62 Myr Periodic Fluctuation Superimposed on General Trends in Fossil Biodiversity: II, Evolutionary Dynamics Associated with Periodic Fluctuation in Marine Diversity.
http://arxiv.org/abs/1011.4496 [19] Melott, A.L. and Bambach, R.K. (2011) A Ubiquitous 62 Myr Periodic Fluctuation Superimposed on General Trends in Fossil Biodiversity: Documentation. Paleobiology, 37, 92-112.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/09054.1 [20] Melott, A.L. and Bambach, R.K. (2011) A Ubiquitous 62 Myr Periodic Fluctuation Superimposed on General Trends in Fossil Biodiversity: II, Evolutionary Dynamics Associated with Periodic Fluctuation in Marine Diversity. Paleobiology, 37, 383-408.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/09055.1 [21] Feng, F. and Bailer-Jones, C.A.L. (2013) Assessing the Influence of the Solar Orbit on Terrestrial Biodiversity. Astrophysical Journal, 768, 152-173.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/768/2/152 [22] Buniy, R.V. and Hsu, S.D.H. (2012) Everything Is Entangled. Physics Letters B, 718, 233-236.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2012.09.047
[1] Sciama, D.W. (1953) On the Origin of Inertia. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 113, 34-42.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/113.1.34 [2] Hoyle, F. and Narlikar, J.V. (1995) Cosmology and Action-at-a-Distance Electrodynamics. Reviews of Modern Physics, 67, 113-155.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.67.113 [3] Phipps, T.E. (1999) Meditations on Action-at-a-Distance. In: Chubykalo, A.E., Pope, V. and Smirnov-Rueda, R., Eds., Instantaneous Action-at-a-Distance in Modern Physics: Pro and Contra, Nova Science, Commack, 137-156. [4] Narlikar, J.V. (1999) Actions at a Distance in Electrodynamics and Inertia. In: Chubykalo, A.E., Pope, V. and Smirnov-Rueda, R., Eds., Instantaneous Action-at-a-Distance in Modern Physics: Pro and Contra, Nova Science, Commack, 19-34. [5] Bell, M.B. (2013) Interesting Evidence for a Low-Level Oscillation Superimposed on the Local Hubble Flow. Astrophysics and Space Science, 344, 471-477.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10509-012-1344-7 [6] Freedman, W.L., Madore, B.F., Gibson, B.K., Ferrarese, L., Kelson, D.D., Sakai, S., Mould, J.R., Kennicutt, R.C., Ford, H.C., Graham, J.A., Huchra, J.P., Hughes, S.M.G., Illingworth, J.D., Macri, L.M. and Stetson, P.B. (2001) Final Results from the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project to Measure the Hubble Constant. Astrophysical Journal, 553, 47-72.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/320638 [7] Bell, M.B. (2002) Evidence for Large Intrinsic Redshifts. Astrophysical Journal, 566, 705-711.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/338272 [8] Bell, M.B. (2002) Quasar Distances and Lifetimes in a Local Model. Astrophysical Journal, 567, 801-810.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/338754 [9] Bell, M.B. (2002) Evidence that an Intrinsic Component that is a Harmonic of z = 0.062 May be Present in Every Quasar Redshift. arXiv:0208320. [10] Bell, M.B. (2002) Discrete Intrinsic Redshifts from Quasars to Normal Galaxies. arXiv:0211091. [11] Bell, M.B. and Comeau, S.P. (2003) Intrinsic Redshifts and the Hubble Constant.
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0305060 [12] Bell, M.B., Comeau, S.P. and Russell, D.G. (2004) Discrete Components in the Radial Velocities of ScI Galaxies.
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0407591 [13] Bell, M.B. (2007) Further Evidence That the Redshifts of AGN Galaxies May Contain Intrinsic Components. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 667, L129-L132. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/522337 [14] Tifft, W.G. (1996) Global Redshift Periodicities and Periodicity Structure. Astrophysical Journal, 468, 491-518.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/177710 [15] Tifft, W.G. (1997) Global Redshift Periodicities and Variability. Astrophysical Journal, 485, 465-483.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/304443 [16] Bell, M.B. and Comeau, S.P. (2014) More Evidence for an Oscillation Superimposed on the Hubble Flow. Astrophysics and Space Science, 349, 337-442.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10509-013-1601-4 [17] Rohde, R.A. and Muller, R.A. (2005) Cycles in Fossil Diversity. Nature, 434, 208-210. [18] Melott, A.L. and Bambach, R.K. (2010) A Ubiquitous 62 Myr Periodic Fluctuation Superimposed on General Trends in Fossil Biodiversity: II, Evolutionary Dynamics Associated with Periodic Fluctuation in Marine Diversity.
http://arxiv.org/abs/1011.4496 [19] Melott, A.L. and Bambach, R.K. (2011) A Ubiquitous 62 Myr Periodic Fluctuation Superimposed on General Trends in Fossil Biodiversity: Documentation. Paleobiology, 37, 92-112.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/09054.1 [20] Melott, A.L. and Bambach, R.K. (2011) A Ubiquitous 62 Myr Periodic Fluctuation Superimposed on General Trends in Fossil Biodiversity: II, Evolutionary Dynamics Associated with Periodic Fluctuation in Marine Diversity. Paleobiology, 37, 383-408.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/09055.1 [21] Feng, F. and Bailer-Jones, C.A.L. (2013) Assessing the Influence of the Solar Orbit on Terrestrial Biodiversity. Astrophysical Journal, 768, 152-173.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/768/2/152 [22] Buniy, R.V. and Hsu, S.D.H. (2012) Everything Is Entangled. Physics Letters B, 718, 233-236.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2012.09.047