Groundbreaking new findings are challenging the existence of dark energy, based on research that suggests the uneven structure of the universe could provide an alternate explanation for its accelerating expansion.
A long-hypothesized repulsive force that overcomes gravity and accounts for the increasing rate of expansion of our universe, the mysterious “dark energy” astrophysicists believe to be affecting the universe at the largest scales remains elusive.
Now, a new theory dubbed the “timescape” model presents an alternative: that the observed acceleration of our universe is not the result of an unseen force in the cosmos, but could instead arise from the irregular distribution of matter within it.
The model, developed by a research team at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, challenges long-held assumptions about the supposed invisible force driving the acceleration of cosmic expansion, and could potentially help astronomers resolve several anomalies that have long perplexed cosmologists.
Questioning Dark Energy’s Existence
Although long accepted as a fundamental force behind one of astronomy’s greatest mysteries, dark energy’s existence remains theoretical. The concept of a mysterious invisible force was initially introduced to help account for phenomena that the standard model of physics currently cannot explain.
However, many scientists have acknowledged the persistent inconsistencies the theory presents, which include what astronomers call the “Hubble tension,” where observed predicted rates of cosmic expansion differ from those proposed by models that conform to the standard model.
Hellbound and Down 