A recent study conducted by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has confirmed Albert Einstein’s groundbreaking theory of general relativity, which describes gravity as the curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy. The study, which analyzed data from almost 6 million galaxies and quasars, found that general relativity accurately predicts the formation of galaxies at cosmological scales.
This achievement is significant because it provides one of the most precise tests of general relativity on large scales, a scale where the theory has been tested but not challenged. Cosmologists have used general relativity to model the evolution of the universe since its earliest moments, and this study further validates the leading model of the universe based on general relativity.
The DESI findings also provide valuable insights into dark energy and dark matter, two mysterious substances that make up about 95% of the universe’s contents. While scientists have yet to understand the nature of these entities, they are essential to understanding the accelerating expansion of space.
Furthermore, the study has set an upper limit on the mass of neutrinos, which are nearly massless particles that have been detected in vast quantities. This result further refines our understanding of fundamental physics.
While Einstein’s theory of general relativity remains unmatched, this study highlights the ongoing quest to understand the universe and its mysteries. As Dragan Huterer from the University of Michigan said, “This is the tip of the iceberg” – more research is expected to be released in Spring 2025.
The DESI results are described in several papers published on the research repository site arXiv, providing a wealth of new information for scientists to explore and build upon.
Source: https://www.space.com/desi-einstein-gravity-dark-energy