Crucial and yet incredible: the mysterious dark energy and its importance for the standard model of cosmology are the focus of the October edition of image of science. According to new data, this fundamental size in the universe could not be constant, but can be decreased. This would have profound consequences for our world view – even with regard to the beginning and the fate of space.
Does scientific progress in cosmology stagnate? The BDW editor Rüdiger Vaas puts this question into the center of the introductory article of the three-part title theme “Dark Energy in A space”. He illustrates that a gradient actually emerges in the research consequences: While in the 19th and 20th centuries of fundamental knowledge, our understanding of the universe revolutionized, such pauss have failed to do so in recent decades.
One of the latest fundamental insights is evidence that space is expanding faster and faster. This in turn is described by the current standard model of cosmology, for which the so -called dark energy plays an important role. But now it is becoming apparent that the cosmological standard model may have to be modified or even revised fundamentally. So maybe there will soon be a cosmological bang, the article “The last revolution – and the next” emerges.
Standard model in the twilight
In the second article in the title theme, Vaas first describes the importance of the standard model of cosmology and what role the dark energy plays. An important aspect in the history of the concept was to determine that the universe expands faster and faster. The dark energy is held responsible for this: measurements of the matter and energy density of the universe suggest that space has almost flat geometry, over two thirds of an antigravitative dark energy is fulfilled and therefore expands faster and faster. According to the concept also mentioned λCDM model, few parameters are sufficient to describe the development of the universe. But is that perhaps too good to be true? Asks the author in the article “The Standard Model”.
In the subsequent post, Vaas then explains why the λCDM model, which has actually been confirmed often, has come into the twilight. At first he illustrates why dark energy seems to be an important factor, but still remains mysterious and incredible. So far, it has been assumed that the effect of the dark energy in the universe remains constant. But it is precisely this aspect that now appears questionable: Measurements with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) suggest that cosmic acceleration has already exceeded its peak and has recently decreased. In other words, the dark energy in space could disappear. This would have enormous consequences for physics, explains Vaas. Because if the dark energy does not result in an eternally accelerated expanding all, the future of the universe appears unclear. However, it is too early to announce a corresponding breakthrough in cosmology, because there is still a lot of scientific clarification needs, writes Vaas in the article “Matters the darkness?”.
You can read the articles of the title theme “Dark Energy in space” online as part of a BDW+ subscription, or you will find it in the October edition of Image of Science, which is available in stores from September 19.