More mystery about dark energy

The universe is expanding at an accelerating rate and no one knows why. This phenomenon seems to contradict everything confirmed by science about the effect of gravity in the universe: it is as if we throw an apple in the air and it continues to rise faster and faster. The cause of the acceleration, called dark energy, is still a mystery.

A new study conducted as part of the International Dark Energy Survey initiative, using the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter telescope in Chile, is the latest attempt to determine if it’s all just a misunderstanding: Those predictions about how gravity works on the scale of the entire universe are wrong. or incomplete. A potential misunderstanding may help scientists explain dark energy.

More than a century ago, Albert Einstein developed his theory of general relativity to describe gravity, among other things, and so far has accurately predicted everything from Mercury’s orbit to the existence of black holes. However, in the opinion of a section of the scientific community, if this theory cannot explain dark energy, some of its equations may have to be modified or new components added.

To find out if this is the case, a large international team, including Agnes Ferté of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), searched for evidence that the force of gravity has varied throughout the history of the universe. routes in different regions of the universe. The positive result indicates that Einstein’s theory is incomplete, which may help explain the accelerating expansion of the universe.

The universe is expanding in an inexplicable way. An unknown force called “dark energy” works against the force of gravity and is accelerating the expansion of the universe even more. (Image: NASA)

The study authors also examined data collected by telescopes other than Blanco, including the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Planck astronomical satellite. This study is one of the most accurate verifications made to date of the degree of correspondence with reality on a cosmic scale as in the description of gravity in Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

The results of the study are clear: Einstein’s theory works.

So there is still no explanation for dark energy, at least not yet. (Line: NCYT by Amazings)