2001/02/06 by Boudewijn F. Roukema, B. F. Roukema · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Cosmic distance ladder #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dark energy #Flatness problem #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Metric expansion of space #Observational cosmology #Particle horizon #Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology #Redshift #Shape of the universe #Universe #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20010174
published as Astronomy & Astrophysics 369 (2001) 729 · 7 pages, 3 figures, accepted for Astronomy & Astrophysics
arxiv created 2001/02/06 · openalex publication_date 2001/04/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Several recent observations using standard rulers and standard candles now suggest, either individually or in combination, that the Universe is close to flat, i.e. that the curvature radius is about as large as the horizon radius (~10h-1 Gpc) or larger. Here, a method of distinguishing an almost flat universe from a precisely flat universe using a single observational data set, without using any microwave background information, is presented. The method (i) assumes that a standard ruler should have no preferred orientation (radial versus tangential) to the observer, and (ii) requires that the (comoving) length of the standard ruler be known independently (e.g. from low redshift estimates). The claimed feature at fixed comoving length in the power spectrum of density perturbations, detected among quasars, Lyman break galaxies or other high redshift objects, would provide an adequate standard candle to prove that the Universe is curved, if indeed it is curved. For example, a combined intrinsic and measurement uncertainty of in the length of the standard ruler L applied at a redshift of would distinguish an hyperbolic or a spherical universe from a flat one to confidence.