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Advanced equipments likely to shed new light on dark energy

A new study has shed light on the expected advances in the knowledge of dark energy that can be expected in the coming decade from a series of planned space missions.

Washington, Dec 1 : A new study has shed light on the expected advances in the knowledge of dark energy that can be expected in the coming decade from a series of planned space missions.

The study, done by Eric Linder and Saul Perlmutter, both from the University of California at Berkeley, also reveal how little we know about dark energy.

"The field of dark energy is very young and we may have a long and exciting period of exploration ahead before it matures," Linder and Perlmutter told Physics World.

Perlmutter, one of the researchers, was also a part of a team of astrophysicists, who had theorized the "concordance model" of the universe, which states that 75 per cent of our universe is made up of dark energy.

The most conventional explanation about dark energy is that it is some kind of "cosmological constant" that arises from empty space not being empty, but having an energy as elementary particles pop in and out of existence.

After observing distant supernovae, the research team came forward with the "concordance model" theory that the cosmic expansion was accelerating and not slowing under the influence of gravity, as was previously thought.

Apart from stating that 75 per cent of our universe is made up of dark energy, his particular theory also says that 21 per cent of it is made up of dark matter, another substance we know little about, with only a remaining four per cent being made up of matter that we do understand.

Since the first evidence for the accelerating universe was made public in early 1998, astrophysicists have provided further evidence to shore up the findings and advances in the measurement methods bode well for increasing our understanding in the future.

As for research regarding forces like dark energy, such equipment is being made available that can make a more robust comparison between galaxy patterns across the sky and investigate temperature fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background. This would also help in tracing the pattern of galaxy formation as well. Also, methods for further observation of supernovae are expanding and improving too.

ANI