This year, researchers have made significant progress in unraveling the mysteries of the Universe. The question remains, will 2024 be a historic year or will the surprises presented to us lead science to a dead end? The answer lies in the findings that will be confirmed this spring.
In April, physicists detected a signal suggesting a possible weakening of dark energy – the enigmatic force that permeates space. While it is premature to label this as a discovery or solid evidence due to the faintness of the signal, astrophysicists used the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (Desi) to map millions of galaxies across space and time.
The understanding that space expands faster under the influence of dark energy has been established since 1998. However, the latest data from DESI indicate a gradual slowdown in acceleration.
If dark energy is truly diminishing, it would require a reevaluation of the fundamental laws of physics. This marks the first tangible clue in 25 years shedding light on one of the most mysterious phenomena in modern science. Theorists are striving to explain this variability while Desi continues to gather data for more definitive conclusions in the future.
On the hunt for invisible components, researchers have hit a roadblock in their search for hypothetical dark matter particles known as WIMPs. These heavy, inert particles were once prime candidates for the elusive substance filling galaxies and the void between them. However, sensitivity of detectors has reached a point where they now detect solar neutrinos, obscuring weaker signals. Physicist Natalya Toro from Stanford University believes the era of searching for WIMPs has ended.
Scientists are now exploring new, lighter particles as potential candidates. With increasing calls for simplicity in theories, the idea that dark matter may be the 21st-century equivalent of Ptolemaic epicycles – a once widely accepted model now deemed erroneous – is gaining traction among experts.
In a ray of hope for astronomers feeling disheartened by the challenges in their work, a new intriguing discovery has surfaced. Dubbed Macs J0018.5, this phenomenon has garnered attention and earned the moniker “the new Bullet Cluster.”