Does cosmological expansion affect local physics?

Abstract

In this contribution I wish to address the question whether, and how, the global cosmological expansion influences local physics. I argue that a pseudo Newtonian picture can be quite accurate if "expansion" is taken to be an attribute of the inertial structure rather than of "space" in some substantivalist sense. This contradicts the often-heard suggestion to imagine cosmological expansion as that of "space itself". Regarding General Relativity, I emphasise the need for proper geometric characterisations in order to meaningfully compare localised systems in different spacetimes, like black holes in static and expanding environments. Examples of this sort are discussed in some detail to clearly map out the problems.

39 pages, 6 figures. Based on a talk delivered at the conference on "Philosophical Aspects of Modern Cosmology", held in Granada, 22-23 September 2011. In version 2 references were added and updated. Also, a new final subsection on "black-hole cosmology" was added

References in corpus (4)

• Kerr-de Sitter Universe
• Thermal Analysis of the Pioneer Anomaly: A method to estimate radiative momentum transfer
• Joining the Hubble Flow: Implications for Expanding Space
• On Doppler tracking in cosmological spacetimes

Cited by in corpus (8)

• A Closer Earth and the Faint Young Sun Paradox: Modification of the Laws of Gravitation, or Sun/Earth Mass Losses?
• Quasi-local masses and cosmological coupling of black holes and mimickers
• Expanding space, quasars and St. Augustine's fireworks
• Influence of cosmological expansion in local experiments
• Four hints and test candidates of the local cosmic expansion
• Interpretations of cosmic expansion: anchoring conceptions and misconceptions
• Spherically symmetric black holes in Gravity from Entropy and spontaneous emission
• The Galactic Pizza: Flat Rotation Curves in the Context of Cosmological Time-Energy Coupling