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НазваниеУчебное пособие Издание второе, переработанное и дополненное Москва Астрель act 2005
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1. Translate into Russian.

  1. Alongside the familiar four fields mentioned above, the unified theories include another kind of fields, so-called scalar fields which have some interesting and unusual properties.

  2. All the four known forces of nature are vector fields having both magnitude and direction at every point of space.

  3. A scalar field has only magnitude and we might think of a property such as temperature or density of a liquid as being represented by a scalar field associated with each point through the volume of the field.

  4. A uniform homogeneous scalar field is almost unobscrvable but filling the whole universe it effects the properties of all elementary particles.

  5. The idea of scalar fields is useful in constructing unified theories because it helps to determine masses of elementary particles and the way they interact with other particles.


2. Translate into English. Use the conjunction whether.

  1. Я не уверен, стоитли заниматься этой проблемой.

  2. Они сами не знают, будет ли она представлять интерес для про­мышленности.

  3. Никто не знает, применима ли данная теория к решению широ­кого круга (range) проблем.

  4. Мы не уверены, достаточно ли надежна методика этой серии эк­спериментов.

  5. Неясно, имеет ли только что разработанный метод какие-то пре­имущества.

UNIT SEVEN
GRAMMAR: INVERSION
В бессоюзных условных предложениях, начинающихся с глаголов were, had, could, should, союз опускается.

Перевод таких предложений следует начинать с союзов если бы, при условии, что и т. д.

Например:

Were there any relationship between these events, we would certainly act differently.

Should they show any uncertainty, we would see it.

Примечание: Русское выражение «Если бы не...» переводится следующим образом:


If it were not for Were it not for
Если бы не But for — для любого времени

If it had not been for Had it not been for

для настоящего и будущего времени



But for

If it were not for Were it not for

this fact, the data obtained would be correct.

Если бы не этот факт, то полученные данные были бы точными.
Sentences to be translated.

1. Had the collisions been considered in this case, the equation could have been obtained.
53

  1. Were it not for the problem of radioactivity, the development of nuclear-powered aircraft would be much simpler.

  2. Were the problem solved it would become possible to avoid these difficulties.

  3. Could sound propagate in interplanetary space, it would cover this distance in 14 years.

  4. Had you warned me beforehand, I would have been more careful.

  5. But forthe several recent discoveries in optics, the instrument in question could not have been designed in its present form.

  6. Were it not for the computer they might not make the necessary calculations on time.


WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

Инверсия, как правило, употребляется при эмоциональном выделе­нии или подчеркивании членов предложения. Инверсия может иметь место в следующих случаях:

1. В предложениях, начинающихся наречиями. Например:

Here comes (вот идет) our friend. Thus began our friendship. So ended this terrible struggle.

2. Когда предложение начинается с распространенного обстоятель-
ства. Например:

То this branch of physics was added another one.

Гп front of the first screen are placed two other screens, each having a small hole in it.

В предложениях, начинающихся наречиями hardly едва, no sooner кактолько, never, seldom, often, not only, little и др. Например:

Never have I known such a man! Little did we think of our future then.
Sentences to be translated.

  1. Fundamental to all physical sciences are the concepts associated with the atomic theory of matter.

  2. Satisfactory as the theory is, it cannot account for all the data obtained.

  3. Only by means of the Space Telescope can we detect distant stellar objects.

  4. No sooner did they switch on the device than it burnt out.

  5. Nowhere before could we observe such a strange phenomenon.

READING (7A)

Read the passage carefully and find facts to prove or disprove the idea that the h-.m-uomb '-tniriip e of the Universe can be explained in terms ofthe chaotic inflation 'npothesis.

CHAOTIC INFLATION

Since 1980, cosmologists have modified considerably their theories ofthe 'licsi stages ofthe evolution of the Universe. This modification is based 111 ><>11 the so-called "inflationary" Universe scenario. The most promising version of this idea — "chaotic inflation" is described below by Andrei Lindc, ти- ofthe architects of the new model.

The essence ofthe inflationary hypothesis is that we live in a single domain hi' the Universe, a region corresponding to one crystal domain, which has

\pandcd so much ("inflated") that the domain walls are far beyond the range

. il our telescopes. The few monopolcs present in the original small volume of 11 к-1 .'niverse that has been blown up to the scale of 10-8 cannot play a significant mil- in the evolution of our local bubble of space-time, so that the concept и-moves the monopole problem. But how and why did the Universe as we know inflate in this way?

1'he first version ofthe inflationary Universe was suggested by Allan Guth
i M IT, USA) in July 1980. His scenario was based on the idea of high-
pet attire phase transitions, which provided the energy fora rapid burst of

\pausion early in the life ofthe Universe. Like watergiving up its latent heat of fusion as it freezes, those phase transitions, Guth suggested, might give up i-iiergy, which went to make the Universe expand exponentially for a short i ime. But as Guth himself pointed out at the time, this early version of inflation predicted an extremely inhomogencous state for the Universe afterthe phase i i.uisition.

In October 1981, I put forward an improved version of the inflation idea, which, forobvious reasons, became known as the "new inflationary scenario". I his resolved some of the difficulties in Guth's original version. This new inflationary scenario caused a stir among cosmologists and physicists, and was u-гу widely discussed. New inflation resolved many ofthe large discrepancies between the predict ions of field theory and the observations ofthe real Universe, and suggested that we were on the right way towards an understanding ofthe I inverse birth. But even this variation proved impossible to reconcile completely with the most realistic theories of elementary particles developed. In I9S3, however, 1 was able to resolve most of those remaining difficulties with another variation ofthe inflationary scenario, called "chaotic inflation". 1'his abandons the idea that high-temperature phase transitions provided the push behind the inflation in the very early Universe. In my opinion this scenario i: much simpler and more natural than other versions ofthe inflationary I i ''verse.

Order out of Chaos

According to the unified theories of particle physics, the Universe is filled with many types of uniform, homogeneous scalar fields. The nature of each field is determined by the position of a minimum in its potential energy function, the field rolling down to its minimum as the Universe cooled. But at the very early stages of the Universe evolution, when none of the fields had yet had time to roll down into its minimum state, each field could be homogeneous and have a different value in different parts of the Universe. In that split second after the moment of creation, there had not been enough time forthc field to become homogeneous. This is what 1 refer to as a "chaotic" distribution of the field and it has interestingand unexpected consequences.

If the field in one region is initially almost homogeneous and is far from its equilibrium state (that is, it has a large potential energy) then it "rolls down" Hnto the minimum very slowly. But as the Universe expands, the energy density of all the particles in the Universe decreases very rapidly. So, the total energy density of the cooling Universe quickly becomes equal to the slowly changing potential energy of the scalar field.

According to the general theory of relativity, the rate at which the Universe expands depends on the energy density of the matter that fills the Universe. If the energy density is constant (or changes very slowly) then the equations tell us that the Universe must expand with ever increasing speed, exponentially.

This period of inflation is longer if the field started out further away from its minimum value, because it takes longer to roll down to the minimum. The simplest theories of the scalar field suggest that during the exponential expansion the size of the Universe was blown up by a factor of 10"ш"°", and that the largest domain must have grown from the region originally filled with the field that was in a state furthest away from its equilibrium value.

When the field rolls down to its minimum value it oscillates to and fro about the minimum and energy from the oscillating field is converted into elementary particles. By the time the oscillation has damped itself out, the Universe (or a particular domain) has been filled with hot particles and the subsequent evolution of that domain can be described adequately by the standard model of the hot big bang. The only difference is that there was a phase of exponential expansion inflating a tiny seed of the Universe by a factor of I u1000000, before the outburst from the hot big bang itself. But this small difference leads to very important consequences.

Suppose, for example, that the exponentially expanding domain started out very curved. After expanding 10100""0" times, however, the geometry of space inside such a domain scarcely differs from the Euclidean geometry of flat space, just as the surface of a balloon expanded by a similaramount would look very much like the surface of a flat plane. Similarly, any irregularities are smoothed away by the expansion (inflation) so that the domain becomes very homogeneous and isotropic. Imagine how flat and smooth even the Himalayas would seem if the radius of the Earth grew to 101"""""" times its present size.

(to be continued)
book through the passage and find English equivalents for the following Russian phrases.

самые ранние стадии эволюции; сыграть значительную роль; выдви­нул улучшенную версию; исходная версия; вызвала сенсацию; разре­шил многие из крупных противоречий; вряд ли отличается от; по явной причине; крошечное семя; суть гипотезы; высокотемпературные фазо­вые превращения; экспоненциально расширяющаяся область
Match each word in A with its synonym in B.

A. I. to burst; 2, to blow up; 3. to abandon; 4. to point out; 5. to reconcile;
6. to resolve; 7. to stir; 8. essence; 9. scarcely; 10. discrepancy

B. a) hardly; b) inconsistence (difference); c) to make agree; d) to inflate;
c) to decide firmly; 1) to show direction; g) to give up wholly and finally;
h) the very being or power of a thing; i) to break into pieces; j) to be
emotionally moved
Answer the following questions.

!. What problem is the article concerned with?

  1. What is one of the most promising hypotheses concerning the origin of the Universe, according to the author?

  1. What is the essence of this hypothesis?

  2. Who was the first version of this hypothesis suggested by?

  3. When was it suggested?

  4. What were the inconsistencies of this version?

  5. What was the last version of this hypothesis called?

  6. What main idea was introduced into chaotic hypothesis?

  1. How does the author explain the first instants of the origin of the Universe?

  2. What consequences did the first phase of exponential expansion of a tiny seed of the Universe lead to?


Think and say a few words about:

  1. the historical aspect of scientific hypotheses on the origin of the Universe;

  2. the hypothesis of inflationary Universe;

  3. the essence of the hypothesis.

CLASS WOкк
READING (7H)
Before reading the passage below, let us remember be*. ; :io « . iVx - v аГ

Universe.

Condition

CoaseqiiiiKi-

Enough matter to close on itself 1. Our Universe is niid< :-.-ageJ

  1. Expansion —> stop ; с-.лШжо'.ч1. —> Big Crunch

  2. Protons will not have ите to с сcay (10 4 years)


Now, read the passage and find all the similarities and diticrciices with i>. >se 14 Scenario 2 (5 minutes are preferable).
SCENARIO2. A IARGE FINITE UNIVERSE

From what we presently know about cosmology, it is possible th. the Universe is finite but immensely larger than we can observe at this time, "'"his possibility would require that the density of energy in the Universe be si;g!,,.iv larger than the amount needed to cause the Universe to close.

If this is the actual situation, the Universe will continue to expand fo- very much longer than it has already existed. Although it will eventually sk.- \v' begin to contract, our current space-time is in its infancy. The long-term fir. г re ofthe Universe would then depend on the behaviour of matter, so that s.-:'i -Universe is of more interest to physicists than that of Scenario I.

In a large finite Universe, very slow processes that could change the char.ictc ofthe matter in the Universe would have time to act during the long period of expansion. *Physicists have identified a numberofsueh hypothetical processes, all of which act over time scales that are much greater than the present age or the Universe, but which could be considered short compared to its ultimate life span. One such process is the decay of protons into lighter particles, which, if it occurs, would require at least 10" years on the average. *Another possih, ity is that quantum mechanical effects will lead relatively small bits of matter to spontaneously collapse into black holes. It is difficult to make precise estimates of how much time such an event would take, but it is likely to take extremely long, much longer even than for protons to decay. Some matter will end up in black holes more quickly, as gravity makes some stars and galaxies collapse.

*Although the ultimate fate of the black holes is unknown, as they slowly evaporate, most of the matter that was caught in them will be transformed into radiation by the process conceived of by 1 Iawking. Therefore, whet her or not isolated protons decay into.lighter particles, ifthe Universe continues to expand lor long enough, much of the matter presently in it will ultimately be changed into photons and any other massless particles that may exist.

There is still another possibility, which is relevant ifthe Universe contains large numbers of neutrinos and antineutrinos, or other weakly interacting particles with small mass. Like electrons and positrons, these neutrinos and antineutrinos can, when they collide, convert into photons, a process known as annihilation. Although the rate at which this happens is low, if the Universe lives long enough, many neutrinos and antineutrinos will annihilate. There is a theory that the energy density of these weakly interacting particles produces the gravity that holds galaxies and clusters of galaxies together. *If this is true, then their annihilation could lead to the instability of galaxies, the most characteristic objects in our present Universe. It seems likely, then, that the most familiar objects in the present Universe, from atoms through galactic clusters, are not eternal. They will disappear in the future, ifthe Universe lives long enough.

This scenario should not surprise us. If the most important constituents of the present Universe are destined to disappear, they will surely be replaced by something new. From what we know of the past evolution of the Universe this has happened several times in the past as the Universe went from one dominated by many distinct particle species to one dominated by photons to one dominated by protons.

Some physicists have tried to describe the Universe that would develop after the protons have decayed or the black holes have swallowed up matter as we know it. These considerations would apply either to the large finite Universe of the present scenario (so long as it is still expanding) or to the next scenario, in which the Universe is finite and expands forever. The analysis is not complete, but it suggests that some forms of matter other than photons would persist (continue to act) in such a future Universe.

The protons that are present in our Universe would decay into positrons. These positrons can annihilate with the electrons already present to yield photons. *However, the extent to which this happens depends on the rate of expansion of the Universe, which by increasing the average distance between particles, decreases the chance of annihilation. The analyses that have been given suggest that many of the positrons will Find themselves too faraway from an electron to annihilate. Consequently, some positrons, and an equal number of electrons, will remain indefinitely. The same appears to be true for neutrinos of finite mass, if there are any such particles. In any event, these particles that remain could form more complex stable structures, bound together by gravity orelectromagnetism. These structures will be immensely largerthanthe familiar atoms, indeed, some maybe larger than the present observable Universe!

How complex these structures can become is an unsolved problem. It is difficult to analyse it in detail, because of the extreme disparity in scale between the structures that are familiar to us and anything that may evolve in the late

Universe. However, this change in scale is not unprecedented in the history of the Universe. *In its earliest moments, the whole region that eventually evolved into the present Universe was much smaller than an atom or even a subatomic particle. *If there could have been an intelligence that functioned in the early instants of the Universe, the familiar structures of our present Universe would seem as grossly extended as the supergalactic atoms of the late Universe would appear to us. *It is not beyond our ability to understand complexity in the late Universe, once we set our minds to it. 1 believe that understanding that complexity, and solving its related problems, will represent a novel branch of science in the future.

*No matter how large, ifthe Universe is finite, eventually the expansion will cease and contraction will take over. The details of what will happen during this contraction would be rather different from those in Scenario 1, because the contents of the Universe would be different in each case. *Yet, the outcome is no less mysterious, so poorly are the phases of turnover and contraction under­stood. *If we learn that the Universe is finite, unraveling what will take place during these phases will become one of the important endeavours of future science.

  • Try to guess the meaning of the words given in italics in the text.

  • Translate the sentences marked with an asterisk.

  • Look through the text and try to answer the following questions.




  1. What conditions are needed for the Universe to be larger than that in Scenario 1?

  2. What will the future of the Universe depend upon according to Scenario 2?

  3. Why is Scenario 2 of greater interest to scientists as compared with Scenario 1 ?

  4. What do scientists hypothesize concerning the present forms of matter?



HOMEWORK

(to be done in writing)
1. Translate into Russian.

  1. In one specific cosmological model, recently proposed by an American physicist Alan Guth, known as the inflationary universe, all of the visible universe and a great deal of space-time beyond it, originated in a tiny bubble in the very early universe.

  2. This bubble contained a high level of quantum fields which caused it to undergo an expansion much more rapid than that expected according to

the standard Big Bang theory, where the expansion is influenced only by the presence of subatomic particles.

  1. The rapid expansion diluted the material contents of our universe to a very low density, and none ofthe particles present in the universe before this "inflation" began are present today.

  2. Instead, the matter in the present Universe was produced by a phase transition at the end ofthe inflation, in which some of the energy that was contained in background fields became converted to particles.

  3. Inthc inflationary Universe, space-time beyond the volume of expansion ofthe original bubble would be different from space-time inside it.

  4. In this model, the different regions of the Universe arc somewhat like different cultures, developing independently of one another, and unaware of each other's existence.

  5. We are presently unaware of conditions beyond our own bubble, because there has not yet been enough time since the beginning of the Universe for any light originating outside to reach us.

  6. If the Universe continues to exist indefinitely, we would eventually become aware of these foreign regions of space-time — and find that matter and energy in these regions have very different properties from those familiar to us.


2. Translate into English.

  1. Этот журнал содержит ряд статей на данную тему.

  2. Если бы вам удалось достать его, мы могли бы получить много ценной информации.

  3. Одна из статей даст интересную трактовку (treatment) данной темы.

  4. В ней дается обзор (review) данной темы в целом.

  5. Я думаю, что эта статья представляет собой ценный вклад в науку.

UNIT EIGHT
GRAMMAR: THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD


that astronomers (should)determine the mass of...

Важно (существенно), чтобы астрономы определили массу...

1.

It is essential desirable doubtful, etc.
2.

The laws of mechanics require suggest

demand propose, etc.

that the distance of each body (should)be related to...

Законы механики требуют, что­бы расстояние каждого тела ... находилось в соответствии с ...


If

Provided

Providing

Supposing

the Moon were one halfit would "]

might I be. could J

Если бы Луна составляла половину то она была бы ...

If it were to + Infinitive = если бы (относитсякбудущему) If I were to do that, what would you say?
Read the following extract. Pay attention to the grammar forms in bold type. Translate them into Russian.

1. Now it is essential that astronomers (should) determine the mass of large numbers of other objects in the Universe. There is the Moon, for instance,
62

Earth's one satellite, which is 384,00 km from us (1 km is = 5/8 mi) and which circles the Earth once every 27 1/3 days.

More precisely both the Earth and the Moon circle a common center of gravity.

2. The laws of mechanics require that the distance of each body from that center of gravity (should) be related to its mass. In other words, if the Moon were one half as massive as the Earth, it would be two times as far from the center of gravity as the Earth is, if it were one third as massive as the Earth, it would be three times as far; and so on.

After Isaac Asimov. "The Collapsing Universe".

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY
Question п. — вопрос, проблема

v. — сомневаться, ставить под вопрос

in question — исследуемый, рассматриваемый

(syn. involved о ко юром идет речь, concerned, in issue, in point)

open to question — сомнительный, спорный

beyond question — вне сомнения

out ofthe question — не может быть и речи
Translate into Russian.

  1. The method involved provided them with interesting results.

  2. The quantity in question is related to the volume of this container.

  3. Our being close to the solution ofthe problem is out of the question.



READING (8A)

Read the passage and answer these two questions:

  1. What does the Universe look like according to the chaotic inflation hypothesis?

  2. What cosmological problems does this hypothesis account for?


CHAOTIC INFLATION

Like all inflationary scenarios, chaotic inflation removes the monopole problem. No new monopolcs arc created after the inflation, so any that originaliy existed arc separated from one another by an amount in proportion to the magnitude of the exponential increase in the size of the Universe. The i ntc -tor of each domain looks like a mini-Universe with a typical size greater than the distance we can see. UP cm, and for all practical purposes ourdomain is the Universe. But according to this scenario there arc many such mini-Universes separated from each other by domain walls in which the scalar fields take different values and in which, therefore, different laws ot'ohys'cs operate. We live in a domain in which the interactions just happen to have been broken into the strong and weak forces and elcctromagnetism. This has clearly influenced the development of life as well as the evolution of the Universe as we know it, and life of our type may be impossible in other aomains with different laws of physics.

The division of the Universe into many mini-Universes also makes it possible to suggest an answer to the question of why our space is three-dimensional. The process of compactification (shrinking and rolling up of some of the original dimensions) may occur differently in domains that are far enough apart from one another. And, once again, life, as we know it, may only exist in those domains which are three-dimensional. The physicist Paul 'ihrenfest pointed out, as long ago as 1917, that the threc-dimcnsienality of space is intimately connected with the way matter behaves.

Both gravitational and electromagnetic forces obey inverse square laws in our Universe and by generalizing the equations that describe these interactions and solving them in other dimensions mathematicians have shown that in space with n dimensions the result is always an n— 1 power law. In four dimensions, the laws would both be inverse cubes and, it turns out, there would be no stable orbits for cither planets in solar systems or electrons in atoms. The same is true for all higher dimensions. In a two-dimensional Universe, tilings are no better, because n— 1 is 1, and neither gravity nor elcctromagnetism is affected by distance at all. So atoms and planetary systems may only exist together in a domain with three dimensions of space, like our domain of the Universe. Sothc chaotic inflation scenario provides a simple solution to most of the problems with the standard big bang model.

The inflationary Universe scenario is now only five years old, and is still rapidly changing and developing as new ideas come to the fore. We do not know which part of the scenario will survive even for the next five years. But already it has proved able to solve about ten major cosmological problems in one simple model. Ideas which would have sounded like fantastic science-fiction only a decade ago, such as the creation of all the matter in the observable Universe (I0-" tons) by gravitational forces operating inside a domain which originally contained less than 10s g of matter and was less than 10"" cm across, now seem to be necessary ingredients in any complete theory of the Universe.

And how long did all that activity take? 1 have saved the most startling fact until last. The phase of exponential inflation that is critical to our modern understanding of the Universe probably lasted for less than 10'30 seconds.
Look through the passage and find English equivalents for the following Russian phrases.

достаточно далеко отстоять друг от друга; подчиняться закону об­ратных квадратов; степенной закон; то же справедливо и для; ситуа­ция не лучше и для; по мере выдвижения новых идей; дает простое решение; являются, по-видимому, необходимыми составляющими; по­разительный факт; принимают различные значения; для решающего (переломного) понимания
Match each word in A with its synonym in B.

A. 1. to survive; 2. ingredient; 3. to startle; 4. to shrink; 5. true

B. a) component; b) to astonish; c) to remain alive; d) to contract;
e)exact
Match each word in A with its antonym in B.

A. 1. to stop; 2. to shrink; 3. far apart from; 4. slow; 5. true; 6. inverse;
7. to survive

B. a) direct; b) to expand; c) rapid; d) next to; c) false; 0 to die; g) to
last
Answer the following questions using the information from the text or any other sources.

  1. What is the Universe according to the chaotic inflation scenario?

  2. What problems does the chaotic hypothesis remove and why?

  3. What does each domain of the Universe look like?

  4. How does this hypothesis explain the dimensionality of our system?

  5. How does the author account for the first instants of the origin of the Universe?

  6. What really fantastic science-fiction figures do scientists have to realize in developing a complete theory of the Universe?

  7. Which of the facts impress your imagination most?

1 Г.. И. Куршпии.-н

65

CLASSWORK
READING (8B)
Before reading the passage below, let us remember Scenarios 1 and 2 of a finite small and large Universes.

Scenario 1

Scenario 2

Condition

Enough matter for the Universe to close on itself.

The density of energy in the Universe is slightly larger than needed for the Universe to close.


Scenario 1

Scenario 2

Consequences

  1. Middle-aged Universe.

  2. Expansion —> stop —» contraction —> Big Crunch.

  3. Protons will not have time to decay.




  1. The Universe is in its infancy.

  2. Very long expansion —> stop —> contraction —> Big Crunch.

  3. Decay of protons into lighter particles, spontaneous collapse of matter into black holes. Annihi­lations of neutrinos and anti-neutrinos. I nstability of galaxies.


Now, read the passage and give your opinion on the fate of the Universe according to Scenario 3.

SCENARIO3. AN INFINITE UNIVERSE

*If the density of matter were less than a critical amount, corresponding to about 10 29 grams per cubic centimeter — about ten milligrams in a region the size of the Earth — then the Universe is infinite, and will expand for ever. "■Objects in the Universe will, on the average, get farther and farther apart, except for those such as the contents ofthe solar system, which are held together by forces such as gravity. As in Scenario 2, the contents of the Universe will change, and their eventualform will depend on presently unknown properties of subatomic particles and on the end state of black holes. On the whole, the future ofthe Universe in Scenario 3 is about the same as in Scenario 2, except that the expansion never slows to zero and reverses. The Universe of Scenario 3 becomes one in which protons, electrons, neutrinos and their antiparticles are spread ever more thinly through larger and larger regions of space. *Once again, however, we do not know whether gravity and elcctromagnetism would allow these objects to form complex structures able to persist indefinitely.

However, there is a missing piece in our puzzle, one that might apply to the large finite Universe. Most cosmological models have assumed that the Universe is homogeneous — that all parts of it are the same, including those beyond the reach of our telescopes and hence unknown. The assumption of homogeneity has been made in order to simplify the mathematical description that physicists give to the Universe.

*Recently, this assumption has been questioned. We have seen that physicists believe that some features of the present Universe depend on the broken symmetry that occurred in the early Universe. Yet this symmetry breaking need not have occurred uniformly over the whole of spacetime. Just as a lake in winter can be liquid in some regions and solid in others, so might different regions of space be in different phases, which would imply different physical properties for the matter in it. For example, the surplus of what we call matter in our visible Universe might be replaced by equal amounts of matter and ant imatter or a surplus of antimatter in parts of space-time beyond our present horizon. But now let us return to the view that the properties of particles will change slowly as the Universe expands. Some scientists have predicted that rapid phase transitions similar to those that took place in the early Universe will occur in the future. This could happen if the present configuration of quantum fields in our region of space has more energy than another configuration, and is therefore unstable against transformation into the lower energy configuration.

*lf such phase transitions occur, they are expected to begin in one place, perhaps as the result of a random fluctuation, and then spread outward at the speed of light, eventually encompassing every point in space. *As the transition passes through any point, those properties of matter that depend on the background quantum fields present there, would have to change suddenly because of the new conditions. *A sudden change in the properties of subatomic particles would lead to tremendous changes in any structures composed of Ihcm, and it is unlikely that these structures would persist. It has even been suggested that such a phase change has begun in anothersection ofthe Universe, and is now approaching us at the speed of light. But there is no evidence forthis possibility, and we need to analyse it further before adding it to the list of environmental catastrophes that we need to worry about.

If the Universe continues to expand long enough for the matter to change its form drastically, then intelligent creatures may have agreater role to play in the distant future than they would in a Universe that eventually contracts. They would have to grapple with two problems: the disappearance of the protons and bound neutrons that form the material bases for most structures in the present Universe, and the ever smaller amounts of free energy that would be available to preserve order in whatever structures might replace them. *No good solutions to these problems have yet emerged, but since we have been studying them for only a few years, and will not need the answers for 10J0yearsorso, wc need not despair.

  • Try to guess the meaning of the words given in italics in the text.

  • Translate the sentences marked with an asterisk.

  • Look through the text and try to answer the following questions.




  1. What conditions arc needed for our Universe to be infinite?

  2. What factors will play the key role in the fate of an infinite Universe?

  1. What fatal consequences could the inhomogencity of the Universe lead to?

  1. Are there any reasonable solutions to the problems?

  1. Why does the author think that human beings need not despair about the future of the Universe?



HOMEWORK

(to be done in writing)
1. Translate into Russian.

  1. To a physicist a liquid is very symmetric — whichever way you look at it, it looks the same.

  2. But when the liquid cools and begins to crystallize, different regions of the liquid may begin to crystallize with different orientations of their growing crystal lattices.

  3. When these different crystal lattices meet one another they join together as best as they can and inevitably produce boundaries called defects.

  4. Within each domain there is a preferred orientation ofthe crystal lattice, but adjacent domains separated by a defect may have very different orientations.

  5. The overall symmetry has been destroyed.

  6. During the phase transitions ofthe cooling early Universe, something similar to the crystallization of a liquid may have happened.

  7. As the Universe continued to expand and cool, the quantum fields went through several distinct phase transitions.

  8. Each of these led to a change in the overall level of quantum fields everywhere in space and an associated change in the properties of some subatomic particles.

  1. The last of the phase changes is thought to have taken place when the temperature ofthe Universe was about 1011 times as great as today.

  2. After that, all subatomic particles had the same properties that we find them to have now.

  3. According to theoretical analyses, all of these extraordinary changes took place within a very short period of time — perhaps in the very microsecond or so after the expansion ofthe Universe began.

  4. In other words, the main subatomic features of our Universe were determined in a flash of time, and the consequences have been working themselves out ever since.


2. Translate into English. Use such phrases as in question (progress), under consideration (discussion, study).

  1. Открытие, о котором идет речь, пока широко не известно.

  2. Исследуемая проблема может повлиять на развитие всей от­расли.

  3. Обсуждаемые сейчас данные тесно связаны с этой проблемой.

  4. Рассматриваемый подход кажется вполне удовлетворительным.

  5. Исследовательская работа, проводимая в нашей лаборатории, даст хорошие результаты.

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