A new study has challenged the long-held idea that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, suggesting instead that time passes differently in various regions of space due to gravitational differences. This concept, known as timescape cosmology, proposes that areas with stronger gravity experience slower time, leading to a “butterfly effect” on cosmic expansion.
According to researchers, this phenomenon could add billions of years to the age of some regions, making it difficult to compare rates of expansion across different parts of the universe. This, in turn, would create an illusion of accelerating expansion, which was previously attributed to dark energy – a mysterious force thought to drive the acceleration of cosmic expansion.
The new study analyzed over 1,500 supernovae, which exploded with predictable brightness, providing reliable data on distance, speed, and direction of movement. The researchers found strong evidence supporting timescape cosmology as a better fit for observations than the current standard model of cosmology.
“This provides compelling evidence that may resolve some of the key questions around the quirks of our expanding cosmos,” said David Wiltshire, a physicist at the University of Canterbury. “With new data, the universe’s biggest mystery could be settled by the end of the decade.”
The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of the universe, as it would mean rethinking the foundations of cosmology and potentially eliminating dark matter and dark energy from the picture. The researchers believe that their findings could provide a more accurate explanation for cosmic expansion, one that takes into account the complex structure of the universe, including cosmic voids and galaxy filaments.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/dark-energy-may-not-exist-something-stranger-might-explain-the-universe