Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2007-03-16
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Submitted to ApJ
Scientific paper
10.1086/522197
The energy densities of matter and the vacuum are currently observed to be of the same order of magnitude: $(\Omega_{m 0} \approx 0.3) \sim (\Omega_{\Lambda 0} \approx 0.7)$. The cosmological window of time during which this occurs is relatively narrow. Thus, we are presented with the cosmological coincidence problem: Why, just now, do these energy densities happen to be of the same order? Here we show that this apparent coincidence can be explained as a temporal selection effect produced by the age distribution of terrestrial planets in the Universe. We find a large ($\sim 68 %$) probability that observations made from terrestrial planets will result in finding $\Omega_m$ at least as close to $\Omega_{\Lambda}$ as we observe today. Hence, we, and any observers in the Universe who have evolved on terrestrial planets, should not be surprised to find $\Omega_m \sim \Omega_{\Lambda}$. This result is relatively robust if the time it takes an observer to evolve on a terrestrial planet is less than $\sim 10$ Gyr.
Egan Chas A.
Lineweaver Charles H.
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