TIME AND ITS EVOLUTION IN AN INHOMOGENEOUS UNIVERSE

The purpose of this paper is to establish a consistent timescale for a ll regions of an Einstein-Strauss swiss cheese universe, for all epoch s. For spherically symmetric masses, M(1), M(2),..., M(n), embedded in a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe of arbitrary Riemann curv ature constant, k, mutually consistent clock rates are obtained only i f the Schwarzchild regimes in the vacuoles surrounding the respective masses are nonstatic. This contrasts to Schwarzschild regimes that are asymptotically flat at infinity which, by Birkhoff's theorem, are alw ays static. For a concentric, nested configuration of spherical mass d istributions, self-consistent time-scales are determined by conditions at each spherical shell's outer surface. The expansion of the univers e determines a change in clock rates near mass distributions. In the e arly universe, clocks in the immediate vicinity of a compact mass conc entration would have appeared to run more rapidly than at current epoc hs. Observations that could test for this are described. The effect, h owever, rapidly diminishes with cosmic expansion, so that cumulative a ge differences, over long periods, are negligible.