NEW YORK (AP) Scientists are getting additional clues from distant, old galaxies that the enigmatic substance known as dark energy may not be what they initially believed.
The cosmos is expanding at an increasing rate, and astronomers have been perplexed for decades as to what could be causing this acceleration. They postulate the existence of a strong, unchanging force that is consistent with the primary mathematical framework used to explain the behavior of the cosmos. They refer to it as “dark energy” since they are unable to perceive it and are unsure of its origin.
Because of its immense size, it is believed to comprise almost 70% of the universe, whereas conventional matter, such as all of the stars, planets, and humans, only makes up 5%.
However, results released earlier this year by a global research team of over 900 experts produced a significant surprise. The force pushing or tugging galaxies around did not appear to be constant, according to the scientists’ analysis of their motion. The same organization also released a fresh, more comprehensive set of assessments on Tuesday that came to the same conclusion.
Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki, a cosmologist involved in the partnership from the University of Texas at Dallas, stated, “I did not think that such a result would happen in my lifetime.”
Using a telescope located near Tucson, Arizona, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument shows how galaxies have gathered over time and space by producing a three-dimensional map of the universe’s 11 billion-year history. Scientists can use that to learn more about the universe’s evolution and potential future directions.
If dark energy, as thought, were a constant force, the map they are creating would be illogical. Rather, it seems that the energy is ebbing or shifting over time. The traditional cosmological model used by astronomers would be upended if that were the case. It might indicate that there is something else happening or that dark energy is very different from what scientists had previously believed.
There is a lot of excitement going on, but there is also some perplexity and uncertainty, according to Bhuvnesh Jain, a cosmologist at the University of Pennsylvania who is not working on the study.
The most recent discovery from the collaboration suggests an explanation based on an older theory: that the universe expanded and galaxies clustered as predicted by Einstein’s general relativity over billions of years of cosmic history.
The recent results are not conclusive. To disprove a notion that seemed to fit together so well, astronomers believe they need more information. They anticipate that during the coming years, further studies of the new data and observations from other observatories will establish whether the present understanding of dark energy is correct or incorrect.
“It’s not like a gold-plated measurement, but the significance of this result right now is tantalizing,” said Robert Caldwell, a Dartmouth College physicist who is not involved with the research.
A lot depends on the response. The fate of the universe is determined by the behavior of dark energy, which is the largest component of the universe, according to scientist and Simons Foundation president David Spergel. The universe will keep expanding, becoming colder and more void-filled indefinitely, if dark energy remains constant. The cosmos will expand so quickly that it will kill itself in what scientists refer to as the Big Rip if it is getting stronger.
Don’t freak out. He stated that if this is the case, it won’t occur for billions of years. We would like to know about it, though.
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Mary Conlon, a video journalist with the Associated Press, covered the story from New York.
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