Posted on 06/10/2024 9:00:46 AM PDT by Red Badger
A recent study that presents new challenges to the existence of dark matter suggests gravity may be able to exist even in the absence of mass.
Although all life on Earth experiences its effects daily, gravity remains one of the great mysteries of modern physics. Now, a new study published by Dr. Richard Lieu with The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) proposes that the gravitational effects observed in galaxies and clusters may be the result of what he likens to topological defects in the universe, a theory that does not require the inclusion of dark matter to explain phenomena observed in our universe.
A hypothetical nonluminous material believed by many to account for as much as 85% of the mass in the known universe, dark matter was initially conceived to help account for gravitational effects that scientists presently cannot explain with Einstein’s theory of general relativity. First proposed in 1932 by Dutch astronomer Jan Oort, astrophysicists have continued searching for evidence of this mysterious invisible material, which remains unconfirmed.
However, not everyone is convinced that dark matter offers the best solution to the questions astrophysicists have about the cosmos. In his recent study, Lieu suggests an entirely new approach that could fundamentally upend our current understanding of the universe’s mass and gravitational forces.
“My own inspiration came from my pursuit for another solution to the gravitational field equations of general relativity—the simplified version of which, applicable to the conditions of galaxies and clusters of galaxies, is known as the Poisson equation,” Lieu recently said of his unique approach.
A distinguished professor of physics and astronomy at UAH, Lieu says that his interpretation of the problem “gives a finite gravitation force in the absence of any detectable mass,” an approach that he says arose from his frustration with prevailing ideas about dark matter that still lack any direct evidence after more than a century since the idea was initially proposed.
According to Lieu, concentric structures comprised of shell-like topological defects could account for the excess gravity current models require to bind galaxies or clusters. These structures likely have their genesis in a cosmological phase transition—an event where the state of matter changes across the entire universe—which occurred very early in the universe.
Lieu says such a phase transition could potentially generate gravitational effects without mass.
“Topological defects are compact regions of space with a very high density of matter, usually in the form of cosmic strings or spherical shells,” Lieu said in a statement. These spherical shells would likely consist of an inner layer of positive mass surrounded by an exterior layer composed of negative mass. The result would be a structure possessing a net mass of zero. Despite having essentially no mass, objects near these shells would nonetheless experience significant gravitational forces attracting them toward their center.
According to Einstein’s theories, gravity warps space-time, causing interactions between objects regardless of their mass. Even massless photons are influenced by gravity, for example, when light is warped as it passes near extremely dense celestial objects.
For Lieu, observations of the deflection of light and the velocities of stellar orbits in galaxies may be the result of these hypothetical massless shells, which he believes could offer a better explanation than the theoretical existence of dark matter in these regions.
Although Lieu does not currently offer an explanation for how these massless shells could be formed, he does say that his alternative theory could lead to new discoveries that could resolve such longstanding questions or may even help us confirm the existence of dark matter.
“The availability of a second solution, even if highly suggestive, is not sufficient to discredit the dark matter hypothesis,” Lieu says, adding that his study may only be “an interesting mathematical exercise at best.”
If proven through additional research, however, Lieu’s theory could indeed offer proof that gravity can exist without a need for mass. This discovery could potentially represent a significant advancement in our understanding of the universe and one of its most enduring mysteries.
Lieu’s recent study, “The binding of cosmological structures by massless topological defects,” appeared in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. He can be reached by email at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow his work at micahhanks.com and on X: @MicahHanks.
Negative gravity is the answer to the ages-old question of...
is there anti-gravity.
Anti-gravity will offer a lot of solutions to space travel, and lighter than air airplanes. With anti-gravity, we would not need fuels and we could just bounce from one part of the planet to any other with no worries about landing and getting hurt.
I just need funding to conduct the final research to get this theory confirmed.
BTW, I have another theory about what ‘gravity’ is and what causes it. If anybody wants to know it, just comment below.
‘Space’ is absence of ‘Matter’.
‘Matter’ is absence of ‘Space’......
If the entire universe consisted of just two hydrogen atoms, a billion light years apart, they would eventually come together.
Gravity depresses the fabric of ‘Space-Time’ so that they eventually collide..................
Sort of like the "Far Side" cartoon where there is a large plain with one tree, and the dinosaur runs into it?
Much science is like that these days for better, and now more often, for worse.
That’s funny….
“ Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes,
They call me on and on across the universe,
Thoughts meander like a restless wind
Inside a letter box they
Tumble blindly as they make their way
Across the universe”
People of color women and marginalized communities hardest hit.
If our theories about the Big Bang and Inflation are mostly correct, then it makes sense that space wasn't necessarily uniform to begin with. This might also explain the graininess of the background radiation and the discovery by the Webb telescope of galaxies that appear more well formed than expected in the early universe.
Realistically they don’t know.
Photons can’t have mass, theoretically
but gravity can move them.
What causes gravity?
they don’t know, so they give BS
explanations.
We don’t know a lot of stuff.
What I find a little disturbing
is the reluctance to admit ignorance.
i guess i agree (which, if rearranged and multiplied through = “agree”)
Well done!
appreciate the inspiration!
Photons can’t have mass, theoretically
___________________________
Photons do have mass, theoretically!
Photon energy E = hf = mc2
So m = hf/c2
That’s not too much mass, but something.
Of course, when photon stops oscillating, f=0
and m = 0
“I know that he explains how gravity works—that every bit of matter attracts every other bit of matter. But did he ever explain why?”
Jimi Hendrix explained it best -
Like attracts like, creating resonance until someone messes with the amplitude and it all gets blown up in a big bang, man.
If ‘Negative Mass’ exists, then there should be a corresponding ‘bump’ in the Space-Time Fabric instead of a ‘well’..............
“Photons can’t have mass, theoretically”
What I find a little disturbing
is the reluctance to admit ignorance.
Beatles.....................
If the Universe is like a ‘bubble’, as some theorize, then it is globular in effect even if not perfect.
That accepted, the the farthest you could possibly ‘see’ would be your own back door...................
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