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From: emh@bonnie.UUCP (Edward M. Hummel)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: A cosmology/relativity question
Message-ID: <330@bonnie.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 16-Dec-84 17:02:39 EST
Article-I.D.: bonnie.330
Posted: Sun Dec 16 17:02:39 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 17-Dec-84 03:25:55 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Whippany NJ
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<>
	I haven't been following the latest trends in cosmology
very closely, but I recall hearing something about parts of the universe
being "unobservable" that seems a bit puzzling.  I'm very fuzzy on
the details and would appreciate it if someone could correctly state
the idea.

Here goes....

	In the "big bang" theory (e.g. new inflationary universe version)
regions of the universe are speeding away from other regions at very
high speeds.  As per Hubbles law the parts 'farthest' from us are
travelling away from us at very high velocities.  The puzzling
thing is that there are parts which are so far away that light from them
has not had enough time to reach us (the universe being only
12 billion years old).  This implies that they are outside of a 'light
cone' centered at our present.  If this is now true, then it must have
always have been true. I.e. matter can not outrun the light cone.
	How is this reconciled with the very small size of the
"universe" at t=0 ?
	What does it imply about the structure within the initial singularity?

Comments, answers, further questions appreciated.

					Thanks,
					Ed Hummel
				..ihnp4!clyde!bonnie!emh