A Data-driven Approach to Astrophysics: Towards Quantum Geophysics and Quantum Astrophysics

Abstract

Following our previous article which recommends physicists to build models in the light of principle of parsimony, and also a review on A. Yefremov’s research in the past few years (PSTJ, 2021), here we discuss a data-driven approach to astrophysics. Part of inspiration for this article came from a paper by Brunton, Proctor & Kutz (PNAS, April 12, 2016) and also lecture by the late Hannes Alfven. We begin with a review on how Newton’s recipe to interpret Kepler’s elliptical orbit law, actually led to a number of problematic questions. While we agree with Alfven that one should not infer the history of solar system just from the nature of planetary orbits (or deviations from that), and not from other present astronomy data, because those present data may be of little value to reveal the past history; instead from the data and improving Titius-Bode law, therefore we suggest to come up with a new hypothesis: “quantum matter inside a Newtonian universe.” In other words, in the second section we will discuss how quantum geophysics and quantum astrophysics emerge into the scene.