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The Universe Will Not Die a Heat Death

We assume that the universe is expanding according to the Lambda-CDM model with a fixed Lambda constant.

Imagine a central star, like our sun. Two artificial satellites are orbiting this sun in circular orbits in opposite directions. As the universe expands, the orbits of the satellites are elevated, and the satellites thus gain mechanical energy (the sum of potential and kinetic energy). This energy can be released by causing the satellites to collide or by simply having them graze each other. As a result, some of their kinetic energy is converted into heat, which can be radiated away as thermal radiation, and the satellites descend to lower, more inward orbits. The process can then begin anew.

  • HakFoo@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
    0·
    3 个月前

    Over time, won’t the chances of grazing reduce-- they eventually slip into orbits too distant from each other, fall to the host star, or swing out until they escape the local gravity well?

    • nikaaa@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      2·
      3 个月前

      yes, as I understand it, the process described above is indeed unstable, that means, if it occurs in nature, then it will either eventually escape the host star or fall into the host star.

      However, I believe that with additional intelligent regulatory circuitry, the process could be regulated well enough such that the process remains within certain boundaries, i.e. practically stable.

      Such a process could be used to supply humans with energy for an indefinite time, long after the sun has burned out its hydrogen. It does, however, require intelligence and some bit of control. I have left out the description of regulatory circuitry in the above description for brevity.