What if, after all, our universe was devoid of dark matter?

In cosmology, the term dark matter refers to anything that does not interact with light or the electromagnetic field, or that can only be explained by the force of gravity. We can’t see it and we don’t really know what it’s made of, but we think it helps us understand the behavior of galaxies, planets, and stars. This particle never ceases to intrigue scientists.

The study’s findings, published Friday March 15 in The Astrophysical Journal Journal, shake up our certainties. Theoretical physicist Rajendra Gupta and his team at the University of Ottawa (Canada) assert that our universe is actually devoid of dark matter, we learn in a press release.

The rest under this announcement

The most beautiful photos from the James Webb Space Telescope

To support his theory, the expert relied on work published last year, in which he estimated that the universe is twice as old as previously thought, and determined that its existence is about twenty-seven billion years old. By analyzing fossilized sound waves that dot the map of galaxies, he read signs of a big explosion that may have occurred thirteen billion years earlier than current scientific models suggest.

The rest under this announcement

Oscillations preserved in cosmic structures

“Ours previous workwhich focused on the fact that the universe would be 26.7 billion years old, allowed us to confirm in this new study that the universe does not need dark matter to exist.The researcher explains in a press release. In standard cosmology, the rapid expansion of the universe is said to be due to dark energy, but it is actually due to the weakening of the forces of nature as it expands. , and not dark energy.”

To reach this conclusion, he used a combination of covariant coupling constants (CCC) and a “tire light” (TL), i.e. CCC+TL model. Concretely, this boils down to two ideas: forces of nature decay over time and light gradually loses energy as it travels long distances.

The rest under this announcement

The discovery challenges the existing understanding of the universe, which suggests that about 27% of it is dark matter and less than 5% is normal matter, the rest being dark energy.

By questioning the existence of dark matter and providing evidence for a new cosmological model, this study opens up new avenues for exploring the fundamental properties of the universe.