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.
No Mas!.....................
A new study that doesn’t mention global warming? However did they get it funded?
That’s heavy, man.
” . . . an inner layer of positive mass surrounded by an exterior layer composed of negative mass.”
The most interesting thing to me is the whole concept of ‘negative mass’ - in particular, what kind of properties it would have. If you had fission or fusion of particles of negative mass, would that release ‘negative energy’? - and what would ‘negative energy’ be like?
Why does that happen? And where does that sock go? I dunno. Maybe this theory deserves another look:
Obviously, it would suck.
I’M curious about how gravity accumulates on objects causing weight increases over time.
Not being a scientist I never paid attention to this sort of thing 20 or 30 years ago but in recent years I have noticed the phenomena.
My window A/C units for example, I just put them back in the windows recently and could detect that they were heavier than last year and I’m certain that they are much heavier than 5 years ago going by my memory.
(-1)^.5
Mine have gotten so heavy, I call my son in law to help get them out of the garage.
Carbs. To many carbs....................
It’s a matter of funding.
Anytime someone proposes a grant to study this phenomena, Big Sock puts and end to it.
Note to self: you forgot about Oddball from “Kelly’s Heroes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncbEucjsNFU&t=19s
I sometimes wonder if this mass discrepancy is the result of treating something as a constant that’s actually a variable at the scale of the universe.
“””””I call my son in law to help get them out of the garage.”””””
I pray to God that I never have a son-in-law, I might feel differently if I had a daughter instead of a son, but as it stands..........
The universe doesn’t fit my model so I will just make some crap up. That should fix the universe.
It’s not just inanimate objects!! I’ve noticed by bathroom scales says that gravity has been attaching itself to me (probably when i sleep). I’m not sure how to combat this. All of the anti-gravity belts I tried never worked.
positive mass surrounded by “negative mass” negating itself?
This seems like such a reach. Is negative mass another way of saying anti-matter?
I think these guys just throw stuff hoping it hits a wall. They don’t even care if it sticks anymore.
If absence of matter is basically a vacuum, that’s zero mass, but how would you get negative mass???
Also, if negative mass is so close to positive mass, why don’t they interact, combine, or clash? Even if it is mass without matter, which is hard to fathom, why are they stable together? And more importantly, even if it’s positive mass and negative mass (without matter), why wouldn’t they also negate each other’s effects on gravity?
Why is space black and not white? Edgar Allen Poe (yes, THAT Edgar Allen Poe) answered the question.
The question of why space is black and not white is a fascinating one that has puzzled astronomers and philosophers for centuries. Edgar Allan Poe, the renowned American writer, was one of the first to propose a scientifically reasonable answer to this question. In his essay “Eureka” (1848), Poe suggested that the universe is not old enough to fill the sky with light.
The Finite Age of the Universe
Poe’s idea was that the universe is finite in age, and the speed of light is finite. As a result, only a finite number of stars can be observed from Earth, despite the universe being potentially infinite in size. This means that the light from distant stars has not had time to reach us yet, leaving the sky dark.
The Scattering of Light
Another reason why space appears black is due to the scattering of light. During the day, the blue light from the Sun is scattered by the Earth’s atmosphere, making the sky appear blue. At night, when the part of the Earth is facing away from the Sun, there is no nearby bright source of light to scatter, resulting in a dark sky.
Olbers’ Paradox
The paradox is often attributed to Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers, who described it in 1823. However, it was actually Edgar Allan Poe who provided a more satisfactory resolution to the paradox in his essay “Eureka”. Poe’s idea was that the finite age of the universe and the finite speed of light mean that only a finite number of stars can be observed from Earth, resolving the apparent paradox.
The Steady State Theory
In the Steady State theory, the universe is infinitely old and uniform in time as well as space. This theory proposes that the universe is constantly expanding, causing the light from distant stars and quasars to redshift. As a result, the total light flux from the sky remains finite, explaining why space appears dark.
In conclusion, the combination of the finite age of the universe, the scattering of light, and the Steady State theory all contribute to why space appears black and not white. Edgar Allan Poe’s insight into the finite age of the universe was a crucial step in resolving the paradox of the dark sky.
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