The expansion of the universe could be a mirage, new theoretical study suggests

The growth of the universe may very well be a mirage, a doubtlessly controversial new examine suggests. This rethinking of the cosmos additionally suggests options for the puzzles of darkish vitality and darkish matter, which scientists consider account for round 95% of the universe’s whole vitality and matter however stay shrouded in thriller.

The novel new method is detailed in a paper printed June 2 within the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity, by College of Geneva professor of theoretical physics Lucas Lombriser.

Associated: Darkish vitality may result in a second (and third, and fourth) Large Bang, new analysis suggests

Scientists know the universe is increasing due to redshift, the stretching of sunshine’s wavelength in direction of the redder finish of the spectrum as the article emitting it strikes away from us. Distant galaxies have the next redshift than these nearer to us, suggesting these galaxies are transferring ever farther from Earth.

Extra just lately, scientists have discovered proof that the universe’s growth is not mounted, however is definitely accelerating sooner and sooner. This accelerating growth is captured by a time period referred to as the cosmological fixed, or lambda.

The cosmological fixed has been a headache for cosmologists as a result of predictions of its worth made by particle physics differ from precise observations by 120 orders of magnitude. The cosmological fixed has subsequently been described as “the worst prediction within the historical past of physics.”

Cosmologists usually attempt to resolve the discrepancy between the totally different values of lambda by proposing new particles or bodily forces however Lombriser tackles it by reconceptualizing what’s already there..

“On this work, we placed on a brand new pair of glasses to take a look at the cosmos and its unsolved puzzles by performing a mathematical transformation of the bodily legal guidelines that govern it,” Lombriser instructed Dwell Science by way of e mail.

In Lombriser’s mathematical interpretation, the universe is not increasing however is flat and static, as Einstein as soon as believed. The results we observe that time to growth are as an alternative defined by the evolution of the plenty of particles — corresponding to protons and electrons — over time.

On this image, these particles come up from a discipline that permeates space-time. The cosmological fixed is ready by the sector’s mass and since this discipline fluctuates, the plenty of the particles it provides delivery to additionally fluctuate. The cosmological fixed nonetheless varies with time, however on this mannequin that variation is because of altering particle mass over time, not the growth of the universe.

Within the mannequin, these discipline fluctuations lead to bigger redshifts for distant galaxy clusters than conventional cosmological fashions predict. And so, the cosmological fixed stays true to the mannequin’s predictions.

“I used to be stunned that the cosmological fixed drawback merely appears to vanish on this new perspective on the cosmos,” Lombriser stated.

A recipe for the darkish universe

Lombriser’s new framework additionally tackles a few of cosmology’s different urgent issues, together with the character of darkish matter. This invisible materials outnumbers odd matter particles by a ratio of 5 to 1, however stays mysterious as a result of it would not work together with mild.

Lombriser recommended that fluctuations within the discipline may additionally behave like a so-called axion discipline, with axions being hypothetical particles which can be one of many recommended candidates for darkish matter.

These fluctuations may additionally eliminate darkish vitality, the hypothetical power stretching the material of area and thus driving galaxies aside sooner and sooner. On this mannequin, the impact of darkish vitality, in accordance with Lombriser, could be defined by particle plenty taking a distinct evolutionary path at later occasions within the universe.

On this image “there’s, in precept, no want for darkish vitality,” Lombriser added.

Submit-doctoral researcher on the Universidad ECCI, Bogotá, Colombia, Luz Ángela García, was impressed with Lombriser’s new interpretation and what number of issues it resolves.

“The paper is fairly fascinating, and it supplies an uncommon consequence for a number of issues in cosmology,” García, who was not concerned within the analysis, instructed Dwell Science. “The speculation supplies an outlet for the present tensions in cosmology.”

Nonetheless, García urged warning in assessing the paper’s findings, saying it accommodates components in its theoretical mannequin that doubtless cannot be examined observationally, at the least within the close to future.

Editor’s be aware: This text was corrected at 1:30 p.m. ET on June 20, to replicate that redshift is proof of cosmic growth, however not proof of accelerated cosmic growth.

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