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From: ethan@utastro.UUCP (Ethan Vishniac)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: The soap-bubble theory of galaxy formation
Message-ID: <253@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Jan-86 13:01:59 EST
Article-I.D.: utastro.253
Posted: Thu Jan  9 13:01:59 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Jan-86 07:14:23 EST
References: <313@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 28
Summary: one big bang and many little ones

> Does this
> mean we should stop talking about the big bang and start talking about the
> big bangs? This seems to imply that *all* galaxies are not moving away from
> each other but away from the center of their bubble. Are the bubbles themselves
> moving or will some bubbles eventually collide (the bubbles do seem to be
> expanding)? In the latter case, we should be able to discover some galaxies
> actually moving towards the milky way
> 
> Steve DiPirro

The motion associated with each "bubble" is a small perturbation to the
general expansion of the universe.  If it weren't we would have noticed
this a long time ago.  This work in no way invalidates the theory of the
big bang.  It does give some clues as to the processes that made the
universe slightly inhomogeneous.  As to bubbles colliding, some may but
such collisions would not be exceptionally dramatic, a little like shooting
marbles at each other across the room.  A few spectacular collisions (which
in the case of galaxies means mergers and funny looking aggregates) and
a lot of misses.
-- 
"These are not the opinions    Ethan Vishniac
 of the administration of      {charm,ut-sally,ut-ngp,noao}!utastro!ethan
 the University of Texas,      ethan@astro.UTEXAS.EDU
 but they are the opinions     Department of Astronomy
 of your favorite deity, who   University of Texas
 is in daily communication 
 with me on this (and every 
 other) topic.