OFFSET
-28,2
COMMENTS
The critical density is defined as p_c = 3*H^2/8*Pi*G, where H is the Hubble constant and G is the gravitational constant (A070058) (cf. ESA, Critical density).
The critical density is the value of matter density that ensures the expansion of the Universe eventually halts, but the Universe does not recollapse in a "Big Crunch". This is often expressed via a density parameter Omega, defined as Omega = p/p_c, where p is the actual matter density of the Universe. Thus the Universe is "open", "flat" or "closed", depending on whether Omega < 1, Omega = 1 or Omega > 1. Observations suggest that the dark energy density Omega_Lambda and matter density Omega_m add to a value close to 1 (cf. Planck Collaboration, 2013).
LINKS
R. Aldrovandi, J. Gariel and G. Marcilhacy, On the pre-nucleosynthesis cosmological period, arXiv:gr-qc/0203079 [gr-qc], 2002.
Planck Collaboration, Planck 2013 results. XVI. Cosmological parameters, arXiv:1303.5076 [astro.PH], 2014.
M. Tanabashi et al. (Particle Data Group), Review of Particle Physics, Physical Review D, Vol. 98, No. 3, 030001 (2018). See p. 128, table 2.1.
Wikipedia, Cosmological constant
Wikipedia, Friedmann equations - Density parameter
FORMULA
EXAMPLE
1.87840(9) * 10^(-29) h^2 g cm^(-3), where h = 0.678(9) is a dimensionless scale factor (cf. Aldrovandi et al., 2002, p. 4) for the present day Hubble expansion rate H_0, which equals 100*h km s^(-1) Mpc^(-1) and where the digit in parentheses denotes the standard uncertainty (cf. Tanabashi et al., 2018, table 2.1).
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
AUTHOR
Felix Fröhlich, Sep 28 2019
STATUS
approved