Cosmological Models in the Nonsymmetric Gravitational Theory

Abstract

Cosmological consequences of the nonsymmetric gravitational theory (NGT) are studied. The structure of the NGT field equations is analyzed for an inhomogeneous and anisotropic universe, based on the spherically symmetric field equations. It is assumed that the matter density and pressure are purely time dependent, and it is shown that the field equations allow open, flat and closed universes. The field equations are expanded about the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) model for a small antisymmetric field. The observations are most in accord with the approximately spatially flat universe, which has an FRW metric to lowest order in the skew field. The recent analysis of galaxy synchroton radiation polarization data, which indicates a residual polarization after Faraday polarization is subtracted, can be explained by the birefringence of electromagnetic waves produced by the NGT spacetime.