All posts tagged: dark energy

New Cosmic Surveys Reveal Unexpected Clues About Universe’s Evolution

New Cosmic Surveys Reveal Unexpected Clues About Universe’s Evolution

Published by Webster

New research examining data from two major cosmic surveys indicates that the universe may have evolved in a way that is more complex than previously thought. A team led by Joshua Kim and Mathew Madhavacheril at the University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, analysed data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). Their findings hint at a small discrepancy in the expected distribution of cosmic structures, particularly in the last four billion years. Cosmic Observations and Findings According to the study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics and on the preprint server arXiv, researchers combined ACT’s cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing data with DESI’s luminous red galaxy (LRG) distribution. ACT’s observations provide insight into the early universe, measuring faint light from around 380,000 years after the Big Bang, while DESI maps the three-dimensional distribution of millions of galaxies to understand cosmic structure formation in more recent epochs. By overlaying these datasets, researchers created a comprehensive view of cosmic evolution. The …

Vera C. Rubin Observatory to Detect Millions of Exploding Stars

Vera C. Rubin Observatory to Detect Millions of Exploding Stars

Published by Webster

A major scientific breakthrough is anticipated with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, currently under construction on Cerro Pachón in Chile, as it prepares to embark on its decade-long Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Scheduled to commence this year, this endeavour is expected to detect millions of Type Ia supernovae, commonly referred to as “vampire stars” due to their ability to siphon material from nearby stellar companions. The data collected is likely to offer unprecedented insights into dark energy, the enigmatic force responsible for the universe’s accelerating expansion. Significance of Type Ia Supernovae in Measuring Cosmic Distances According to a report by space.com, Type Ia supernovae, resulting from the explosive end of white dwarf stars, have proven invaluable in cosmic measurements. Their light output is consistent, making them effective “standard candles” for determining distances across the universe. By analysing the brightness and colour of these supernovae, combined with data from their host galaxies, astronomers can map the extent of the universe’s expansion over time. Anais Möller, a researcher with the Rubin/LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration, noted …

Coma Cluster’s Distance Closer Than Predicted, Amplifying Hubble Tension Crisis

Coma Cluster’s Distance Closer Than Predicted, Amplifying Hubble Tension Crisis

Published by Webster

The mystery surrounding the Hubble tension has intensified following new findings indicating that the Coma Cluster of galaxies is 38 million light-years closer than predicted by standard cosmological models. The Hubble tension refers to a persistent discrepancy between the universe’s expansion rate as measured in the modern era and the rate predicted based on observations of the early universe. This ongoing issue has now been described as a crisis, underscoring its potential implications for the foundations of cosmology. Discrepancies in Measurements Highlight the Issue According to a study, which was led by Dan Scolnic of Duke University and Adam Riess of Johns Hopkins University, type Ia supernova explosions observed in the Coma Cluster reveal that the cluster is significantly closer to Earth than models suggest. The findings, which anchor their data to Hubble Space Telescope observations, point to a calculated distance of 321 million light-years. This figure deviates from the 359 million light-years predicted by the standard model, which incorporates the Hubble–Lemaître law and observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The Hubble Tension Explained …

Knowledge nugget of the day: Ghost particles

Knowledge nugget of the day: Ghost particles

Published by Parlour News

Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your knowledge nugget for today. (Relevance: In 2013, UPSC asked a question about the Higgs boson particle. A question on ‘IceCube,’ a particle detector located at the South Pole, was already asked in 2015. Therefore, it is important to understand neutrinos and why they are called ghost particles.) Scientists have deployed telescopes under the Mediterranean Sea to detect the high-energy neutrinos also known as ghost particles. The two telescopes are part of the Cubic Kilometre Neutrino Telescope or KM3NeT. While one of the telescopes will study high-energy neutrinos from space, the other will examine neutrinos from the atmosphere. These telescopes are much like the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, which can detect high-energy neutrinos from deep space but is under the frozen ice in the Antarctic rather than being in the water Key Takeaways: 1. Neutrinos are tiny particles, very similar to electrons, but without any electric charge. They are miniscule subatomic particles that hardly interact with anything. …

Study Claims Black Holes Could be Driving Universe’s Expansion

Study Claims Black Holes Could be Driving Universe’s Expansion

Published by Webster

Astronomers are investigating a controversial idea that black holes might be linked to the universe’s accelerated expansion, driven by dark energy. Dark energy, a mysterious force that forms about 70 percent of the universe, has long been assumed to spread evenly across space, pushing galaxies apart since shortly after the Big Bang. A study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics tilts towards a connection between dark energy and black holes. This work has sparked debates within the scientific community, presenting evidence that black holes, formed by massive star collapses, might contribute to dark energy as they grow. Evidence Points to a Potential Dark Energy-Black Hole Link As per the research, the team used the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) on the Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope in Arizona. The team reportedly analysed the data to estimate the amount of dark energy through the universe’s lifespan. Their findings suggest a parallel increase in dark energy density with black hole mass over time. Dr. Gregory Tarlé, a physics professor at the University of Michigan and co-author of …

New map of universe may open a window to dark energy | Technology News

Published by Parlour News

An international team of researchers has just released the most comprehensive “three-dimensional” map of the universe, which, scientists hope, could reveal some clues about dark energy, the mysterious force that is believed to be causing the universe to expand uncontrollably. The researchers, including an Indian team led by Shadab Alam at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, has published its findings from the first year of observations by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, or DESI, a unique piece of equipment that, once fitted over a telescope, can capture light from 5,000 galaxies at the same time. Using DESI, which is mounted over the Mayall 4-Meter Telescope in Arizona, United States, researchers have been able to measure light from six million galaxies — some of which existed as far back as 11 billion years ago — to prepare the most detailed map of the universe as yet with very precise information about the distances between these galaxies. The DESI collaboration has measured that the expansion rate of the universe was increasing by 68.5 km …