Astronomers have long been studying the universe to understand its mysteries. One of the ways they do this is by using the light from distant stars, such as the Helix Nebula, to measure the apparent expansion of the universe. This method has led to various groundbreaking discoveries that have challenged our understanding of the cosmos. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSC)
New Study Suggests the Expansion of the Universe Could Be an Illusion: Solving Dark Energy and Dark Matter Mysteries
Introduction
A groundbreaking study published in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity offers new insights into the cosmos and the mysteries that shroud it. University of Geneva professor of theoretical physics, Lucas Lombriser, reveals a novel approach to the cosmological constant problem, suggesting that the expansion of the universe could be a mirage and not a reality.
The current understanding of the universe’s expansion is based on the redshift of distant galaxies. However, the concept of the cosmological constant presents significant discrepancies between predicted values and actual observations. Lombriser reconceptualizes the physical laws that govern the universe, proposing that it is flat and static rather than expanding.
According to his mathematical interpretation, effects previously attributed to expansion are now explained by the evolution of the masses of particles over time. These particles arise from a field that permeates space-time, as the cosmological constant is determined by the field’s mass. Fluctuations in the field can mimic a hypothetical particle known as the axion, which could account for dark matter. Furthermore, the fluctuations could eliminate dark energy, and the force driving galaxies apart faster than ever before is explained by differences in particle mass evolution across time.
The paper presents an unusual outcome, resolving multiple problems that plague cosmology. Despite the theory’s promise, caution is advised in assessing the paper’s findings since some of its components cannot be tested through observations in the near future.
Read More: https://www.space.com/universe-expansion-could-be-a-mirage
