Dark energy, the mysterious force driving the universe’s accelerating expansion, has been a long-standing enigma in physics. However, a recent study published in Physical Review Letters has made significant progress in understanding its influence on the cosmos. Researchers from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaboration have used DESI data to interpret black holes as “tiny bubbles of dark energy,” which helps explain the universe’s accelerating expansion.
The study focuses on neutrino masses, the second most abundant particle in the universe, and how they contribute to the matter budget. By analyzing DESI data, the researchers found that the mass of ghost-like particles called neutrinos is greater than zero, consistent with existing knowledge. This breakthrough comes after years of collaboration among over 900 researchers from more than 70 institutions.
The CCBH hypothesis, introduced about five years ago, proposes that black holes convert dead star matter into dark energy. The researchers found that this process links the rate of dark energy production to the rate of star formation, which has been measured for decades by the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope. This connection provides a new perspective on dark energy’s influence on the universe.
The study highlights other benefits of the CCBH model, including its ability to explain the observed amount of dark energy and the cosmic inventory of matter and dark energy. By providing a more accurate understanding of neutrino masses, this research brings us closer to resolving one of physics’ greatest mysteries.
With ongoing experiments and further analysis, the CCBH hypothesis has the potential to become a new paradigm for explaining our universe’s evolution. The DESI collaboration’s groundbreaking work demonstrates that new ideas can emerge from cutting-edge data and innovative thinking, pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and understanding.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-08-black-holes-universe-dark-energy.html