Stephen Hawking PHD Thesis

Properties of expanding universes / Stephen Hawking (PhD.5437)

Properties of expanding universes / Stephen Hawking (PhD.5437)

This thesis has been made openly available with the kind permission of Professor Stephen Hawking.

Some implications and consequences of the expansion of the universe are examined.

In Chapter 1 it is shown that this expansion creates grave difficulties for the Hoyle-Narlikar theory of gravitation.

Chapter 2 deals with perturbations of an expanding homogeneous and isotropic universe. The conclusion is reached that galaxies cannot be formed as a result of the growth of perturbations that were initially small. The propagation and absorption of gravitational radiation is also investigated in this approximation.

In Chapter 3 gravitational radiation in an expanding universe is examined by a method of asymptotic expansions. The 'peeling off' behaviour and the asymptotic group are derived.

Chapter 4 deals with the occurrence of singularities in cosmological models. It is shown that a singularity is inevitable provided that certain very general conditions are satisfied.