{"id":91,"date":"2025-10-24T01:18:42","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T01:18:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/?p=91"},"modified":"2025-10-24T01:18:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T01:18:42","slug":"gravity-alone-might-rewrite-the-universe-new-study-from-the-university-of-ottawa-challenges-dark-matter-and-dark-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/?p=91","title":{"rendered":"Gravity alone might rewrite the universe: new study from the University of Ottawa challenges dark matter and dark energy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"02eb8743c28d6c1e6f2b405980996749\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : 'c8310ef23effe95e5309c38cfaf056e0',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 250,\r\n    'width' : 300,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/passivealexis.com\/c8310ef23effe95e5309c38cfaf056e0\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>For decades, astrophysicists have worked under the premise that unseen forces dominate our universe. According to the standard model of cosmology, two mysterious components\u2014Dark Matter and Dark Energy\u2014make up about 95 % of everything in existence. But now, a bold new study from University of Ottawa suggests that we may not need those invisible entities after all.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The research, led by Rajendra Gupta of the Department of Physics, argues that what we interpret as dark matter or dark energy might instead be explained by subtle changes in the strength of nature\u2019s fundamental forces\u2014especially gravity\u2014as the universe ages.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A simple shift in thinking<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the new model, the idea is that the coupling constants of nature\u2014parameters that determine how strong forces like gravity or electromagnetism are\u2014slowly evolve with time and across different regions of space. What this means: as the universe expands and matter spreads out, the average strength of forces might decline.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how that helps make sense of two major cosmic puzzles:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The accelerating expansion of the universe: In the standard view, dark energy pulls space outward faster and faster. In this new model, the weakening of forces on the largest scales makes it look like there\u2019s an outward push.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The flat rotation curves of galaxies: Stars at the outer edges of galaxies rotate faster than expected if only visible matter is present. This has been attributed to dark matter halos. But the new theory suggests that a varying parameter (denoted \u03b1) in the gravity equation changes based on local matter density\u2014acting like extra gravity where matter is sparse, and less so where matter is dense.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The \u03b1-factor<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A key piece of the model is this parameter \u03b1. On very large (cosmological) scales, \u03b1 behaves approximately as a constant, helping the model reproduce the overall expansion behavior of the universe. On smaller (galactic) scales, where matter is unevenly distributed, \u03b1 varies depending on how much \u201cnormal\u201d matter there is. Lower density \u2192 larger effect; higher density \u2192 smaller effect. This variation can mimic the sorts of gravitational effects previously chalked up to dark matter.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In short: instead of needing one explanation for dark energy and another for dark matter, this approach uses a single unified equation driven by evolving constants.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Why this matters<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If the model holds up under further scrutiny, it could shake the foundations of cosmology. Billions of dollars and decades of experiments have gone into trying to detect dark matter particles and understand dark energy\u2019s nature. If these phenomena are emergent illusions\u2014by\u2010products of slowly changing physics\u2014then the search for exotic particles might need a fundamental rethink.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Caveats and community response<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As with any radical shift in science, this proposal is not yet mainstream. The standard cosmological model\u2014Lambda\u2011CDM model\u2014has been remarkably successful in explaining a wide range of observations. Critics will ask whether this new model can match all those successes (for example, the cosmic microwave background, large\u2010scale structure, gravitational lensing) with comparable precision. Indeed, website Astronomy asked: \u201cAre dark matter and dark energy only an illusion?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The study published by Gupta combines what\u2019s called the \u201ccovarying coupling constants (CCC)\u201d idea with a \u201ctired light\u201d concept (light losing energy over long travel distances) to test the model against observational data.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>What comes next?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Researchers will likely put the model through rigorous testing:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Can it match detailed galaxy rotation curves across many galaxies?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Does it reproduce gravitational lensing patterns attributed to dark matter?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Can it fit cosmic microwave background data and the growth of structure over time?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Are there predictions that differ clearly from the standard model which can be observationally tested?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If this theory wins support, it may shift the way we look at the universe\u2019s evolution, structure, and ultimate fate.<\/p>\n<p>The University of Ottawa\u2019s new work proposes a bold idea: the curious phenomena of dark matter and dark energy might be illusions. What we\u2019ve been interpreting as invisible mass or mysterious energy could simply arise from the gradual weakening of fundamental forces like gravity, captured by a changing parameter \u03b1. While the model is provocative and elegant in its simplicity, it will require extensive testing and comparison with decades of cosmological data to see whether it can replace the prevailing paradigm.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Source: University of Ottawa News \u2014 \u201cDark matter and dark energy may only be a cosmic illusion\u201d (October 1, 2025)<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For decades, astrophysicists have worked under the premise that unseen forces dominate our universe. According to the standard model of cosmology, two mysterious components\u2014Dark Matter and Dark Energy\u2014make up about 95 % of everything in existence. But now, a bold new study from University of Ottawa suggests that we may not need those invisible entities\u2026 <span class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/?p=91\">Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":93,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-astronomy"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=91"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94,"href":"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91\/revisions\/94"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/93"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=91"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=91"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astronomynews.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=91"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}