phonons, speculation

Re Phonons: I thought phonons were essential to understanding
solid-state physics, especially low-temperature superconductivity.
In the mesoscopic realm, however, acoustic frequencies would form a
continuum and are no longer quantized.

One might suppose that the lowest possible non-zero frequency would
be the one which forms a standing photonic wave in the whole
universe considered as a Helmholtz or hollow, spherical resonator.
Of course, this frequency diminishes as the universe expands,
ultimately going to zero if the expansion continues, or stopping at
some finite value if Omega is 1, and rising again if the universe
re-collapses (which it probably won't).

I doubt any universal acoustic waves could exist at the present epoch,
but there must have been some before and just after the inflationary
period.

I don't know if standing gravitational waves are even possible, but
there is another spectrum to consider.

These speculations are probably more appropriate to Ray Tomes's
Cycles List than Alternative Tuning. BTW, Ratbert in the Dilbert
comic strip has discussed somewhat similar matters. Scott Adams may be
satirizing the scientists who "dissed" the speculations in his
latest book. (My apologies to those of you who don't see this comic
strip in your daily newspapers).


--John


SMTPOriginator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
From: "Paul H. Erlich"
Subject: Stretching, beating, dissonance, and perfect JI
PostedDate: 31-12-97 22:33:09
SendTo: CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH
ReplyTo: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
$MessageStorage: 0
$UpdatedBy: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH,CN=Manuel op de Coul/OU=AT/O=EZH
RouteServers: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=notesrv1/OU=Server/O=EZH
RouteTimes: 31-12-97 22:30:41-31-12-97 22:30:42,31-12-97 22:30:03-31-12-97 22:30:04
DeliveredDate: 31-12-97 22:30:04
Categories:
$Revisions:

Received: from ns.ezh.nl ([137.174.112.59]) by notesrv2.ezh.nl (Lotus SMTP MTA SMTP v4.6 (462.2
9-3-1997)) with SMTP id C125657E.00762A0D; Wed, 31 Dec 1997 22:32:36 +0100
Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA10523; Wed, 31 Dec 1997 22:33:09 +0100
Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 22:33:09 +0100
Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA10541
Received: (qmail 3008 invoked from network); 31 Dec 1997 13:33:06 -0800
Received: from localhost (HELO ella.mills.edu) (127.0.0.1)
by localhost with SMTP; 31 Dec 1997 13:33:06 -0800
Message-Id:
Errors-To: madole@mills.edu
Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu