Early Galaxy Evolution (High-z Metallicity)

[modest]

Hey CC

 

You mention the lower limit of 11 Gyr, but say nothing of the upper limit.

 

Was I talking about a lower limit on the age of the universe?.... No - you're right, I was talking about the margin of error.

 

It seems, from the paper you link, that the new and inproved Th/Eu dating gives an average chronometric age for at least two well known stars of 15.6 Gyr plus or minus 4.6 Gyrs. That is between 11 Gyr and 20.2 Gyr.

 

I agree. I believe these (being some of the oldest stars we can find) fit very comfortably in our 13.7 Gyr time frame.

 

Obviously the upper limit is in gross violation of the estimated 13.7 Gyr old universe (according to the standard model; Lambda-CDM).

 

It's a margin of error.

 

But even if we take the 15.6 Gyr at face value we still have a large problem.

 

You can't take 15.6 at face value, you have to take 15.6 +/- 4.6 at face value.

 

 

Perhaps more dark matter and dark energy will solve the problem (99% of the combined mass-energy density, as opposed to 96%, currently favored), but I doubt it.

 

Good you bring that up, because this method has nothing to do with dark matter or any big bang model. It's an independent test placing a lower limit on the age of the universe that is in agreement with BBT. What's more - it would seem that all the oldest stars we look at and both ways of dating them give similar results. It is the totality of this evidence that is so compelling. If 99.999% of the stars we look at are younger (by our measurements) than 13.7 Gyrs then this can't be bad for BBT - I would think. We know stars can theoretically be much, much older than this, so why aren't they? Does QSSC address this? I honestly don't know - but I don't see how it could.

 

It doesn't seem clear that "our best data about the age of the universe is closely supported by many independent methods of calculation" from the paper you link.

.

 

I'm sure there is room for different interpretations, but remember, these are some of the oldest stars we can find anywhere. I think, in point of fact, it was you that brought them up. If the universe is much older than 13.7 Gyrs shouldn't these particular stars be busting the age limit rather than agreeing with it?

 

- modest