THE PLASMA UNIVERSE AND LITTLE BIG BANG

Not happy with either the Big Bang or the steady state theory? A minority of astronomers are formulating other views of the creation of the universe. One model comes from the mind of a Nobel Laureate Hannes Alfven, a Swedish plasma physicist. Called the Plasma Universe, his model starts by noting that 99% of the observable universe (including the stars) is made of plasma. Plasma, an ionized gas that conduct electricity, is sometimes called the fourth state of matter. This theory state that the Big Bang never happened, and that the universe is crisscrossed by gigantic electric currents and huge magnetic fields.

Under this view the universe has existed forever, chiefly under the influence of an electromagnetic force. Such a universe has no distinct beginning and no predictable end. In the Plasma Universe, galaxies come together slowly over a much greater time span than in the Big Bang theory, perhaps talking as long as 100 billion years.

Little of the evidence for the Plasma Universe comes from direct observations of the sky. Instead, it comes from laboratory experiments. Computer simulations of plasma subjected to high-energy fields reveals patterns that look like simulated galaxies. Using actual electromagnetic fields in the laboratory, researchers have also been able to replicate the plasma patterns seen in galaxies. While still a minority view, the Plasma Universe is gaining favor with younger, more laboratory-minded astronomers who value hard empirical evidence over mathematical proofs.

Meanwhile, another group of astronomers is developing a Steady-State theory that actually conforms to astronomical observations. Like its predecessor, this steady-state theory propose a universe with no beginning and no end. Rather, matter is continuously created via succession of "Little Bangs," perhaps associated with mysterious quasars. In this new theory, galaxies would form at a rate determined by the pace at which can the universe expands. These theorists can be even account for the cosmic background radiation: they maintain that the microwaves are actually coming from a cloud of tiny iron particles-not some primordial explosion.