Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering

Biography

Biography: E. Terry Tatum

Abstract

We review here the recent success in modeling our expanding universe according to the rules of flat space cosmology. Given only a few basic and reasonable assumptions and a single observational input, our model derives a variety of results which correlate with astronomical observations, including best estimates of the size, total mass, temperature, age and expansion rate of our observable universe. Our cosmological model universe is always flat and yet it shows a remarkably robust inflationary expansion effect within a tiny fraction of the first second of universal time. Our thermodynamic formula: follows Hawking’s black hole temperature formula and yet it appears to correlate closely with cosmic temperature vs. time derivations from experiments in particle physics. Lastly, our model supports recent credible challenges to the current concept of dark energy. Considering the apparent success of our model, we attempt to explain why we think it works so well, including the fact that it incorporates elements of both general relativity and quantum mechanics. We offer this approach as a possible avenue towards understanding cosmology at the quantum level (“quantum gravity”).