Recent Research Challenges Existence of Cosmic Acceleration and Dark Energy

A research paper authored by Oxford University physicist Subir Sarkar and his team questions the established conclusions regarding cosmic acceleration and dark energy. The physicists who initially demonstrated cosmic acceleration were awarded a Nobel Prize. Sarkar employed statistical analysis to scrutinize crucial data, although his methodology has faced criticism from some detractors.

Is the expansion of our Universe truly accelerating? The 2011 Nobel Prize was awarded to three scientists who demonstrated precisely that. However, a new paper challenges the interpretation of the evidence that led to this conclusion, suggesting that the perceived cosmic acceleration may be a consequence of our movement through a local region of the Universe. In the broader context, the notion of acceleration is called into question, along with the existence of the enigmatic dark energy believed to drive this acceleration. The physicists behind this new perspective take issue with the supernovae-related evidence that formed the basis of the original Nobel-worthy discovery.

Saul Perlmutter, Brian Schmidt, and Adam Riess received the Nobel Prize for their work on the accelerating expansion of the Universe, which relied on observations of distant supernovae. These “la supernovae” or “standard candles” provided a means to measure the Universe’s expansion rate by studying their absolute brightness. In 1998, Perlmutter and Schmidt’s groups observed that the light from 50 supernovae was dimmer than expected, leading to the conclusion that cosmic expansion was accelerating, driven by dark energy, an elusive force purported to constitute 68% of all mass-energy in the Universe.

While the idea of expanding cosmic acceleration has gained acceptance as scientific fact, dissenting voices exist. Oxford University physicist Subir Sarkar and his colleagues, building on their 2015 paper, have now published a second study challenging the concept of a Universe expanding with acceleration. In their 2015 paper, Sarkar’s team statistically analyzed a sample of 740 la supernovae, finding only marginal support for cosmic acceleration with low statistical significance. Their unique approach involved scrutinizing the procedures used to calculate the absolute brightness of supernovae and how their light is affected by intervening dust.

In 2011, Nobel Laureates in Physics, Perlmutter, Schmidt, and Riess, recounted how an initially presumed error led to the unexpected revelation that the universe is undergoing expansion. However, their paper faced criticism, with detractors challenging their methodology and citing alternative data supporting the notion of acceleration. In their forthcoming second paper, set to be published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, the scientists persist in challenging the evidence from supernovae and the concept of cosmic acceleration. They highlight anomalies in red-shift data and raise concerns about the calculations related to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB).

Sarkar contends that the appearance of cosmic acceleration in a limited portion of the sky is a local effect, asserting that they are non-Copernican observers. According to him, this local effect does not influence the overall dynamics of the universe and, consequently, has no connection to dark energy. Riess disagrees, dismissing Sarkar’s conclusions as outdated. He and his team utilized data from 1,300 supernovae in their latest study, affirming robust support for the existence of cosmic acceleration. Riess emphasizes that the evidence for cosmic acceleration and dark energy extends beyond the supernovae Ia sample.

Despite Sarkar’s status as a Nobel Prize-winner, there is disagreement on the validity of his perspective. Sarkar argues that the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) does not directly measure dark energy, challenging a widely propagated belief. For those interested, Sarkar’s new paper is available for review on arXiv.

Do not forget to share your opinion with us to provide you with the best posts !