A new study has found that the universe is expanding at an alarming rate, contradicting current theories in physics. The Hubble tension, a long-standing issue in cosmology, has become a crisis as astronomers have struggled to explain the discrepancy. Recent observations using the James Webb Space Telescope and other data sets have revealed that the universe’s expansion varies depending on its location.
Researchers used data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to investigate the tension further. By studying 12 Type Ia supernovae in a galaxy cluster, they found that the cluster is approximately 320 million light-years away from Earth. This estimate matched previous measurements made over the past half century. However, when combined with data from other sources, including the Hubble Space Telescope and Planck satellite, the updated result revealed an expansion rate of 76.5 km/s/Mpc.
This value falls outside the error range of previous measurements, indicating that the universe is expanding faster than current theories can explain. Lead author Dan Scolnic stated, “We’re pressing really hard against the models we’ve been using for two and a half decades, and we’re seeing that things aren’t matching up.” The study’s findings have significant implications, potentially forcing a major rewrite of our understanding of cosmology.
Astronomers have proposed various explanations to explain the discrepancy, including possible systematic errors. However, with increasingly precise distance ladder measurements, the tension between observations and theory remains unresolved. As Scolnic noted, “There are still surprises left in cosmology, and who knows what discoveries will come next?” The discovery raises questions about the fundamental laws of physics and our current understanding of the universe.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/cosmology/our-model-of-cosmology-might-be-broken-new-study-reveals-the-universe-is-expanding-too-fast-for-physics-to-explain