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Cosmic dark energy may be weakening, astronomers say, raising questions about the fate of the universe
- Astronomers are now suggesting that dark energy, the force driving the universe's acceleration, may be evolving over time, according to new results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI).
- If confirmed, this evolution of dark energy could challenge current cosmological theories and have significant implications for the fate of the universe, potentially leading to scenarios like the 'Big Rip' or 'Big Crunch'.
- For years, dark energy has been thought to be constant, but DESI's findings hint that it may have been stronger in the past and is now weakening, questioning the Lambda-CDM model that dominates cosmology.
- DESI, with over 900 researchers globally, is creating a detailed 3D map of the universe by analyzing light from thousands of galaxies and using baryon acoustic oscillations as cosmic rulers to map the universe's expansion history.
- The recent DESI results are based on data from over 14 million galaxies and quasars spanning 11 billion years, revealing stronger evidence that dark energy may not behave as a constant.
- While the findings are not yet at the 'confirmed discovery' level, the increasing clarity in the data suggests a potential need to revise our understanding of dark energy and cosmology as a whole.
- If dark energy is indeed evolving, it could lead to catastrophic outcomes for the universe, such as the universe tearing apart in a 'Big Rip' or collapsing in a 'Big Crunch', depending on whether dark energy strengthens or weakens over time.
- DESI plans to gather data from 40 million galaxies and quasars to improve precision and further refine the dark energy model, with future releases and independent experiments playing a vital role in determining the validity of these new findings.
- The evolving nature of dark energy, if confirmed, could necessitate new physics beyond general relativity, potentially reshaping our understanding of particle physics and quantum gravity.
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