Dark matter exists or not? dark energy makes up 68 per cent of the observable universe's energy, claims new research

Universe is colossal and it appears to be expanding at an ever increasing rate. A long held theory relating to a mysterious force called dark energy is currently thought to be responsible for this accelerating growth, it is believed that dark energy makes up 68 per cent of the observable universe's energy.

However, a new research hailing from the Eötvös Loránd University has questioned dark energy by offering an alternative to the reigning cosmological models.

“Einstein’s equations of general relativity that describe the expansion of the universe are so complex mathematically, that for a hundred years no solutions accounting for the effect of cosmic structures have been found”, said co-author Dr László Dobos of Eötvös Loránd University.

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According to Dobos, many vital issues were sidelined in the earlier models. If these are taken into consideration, it is easy to explain the acceleration of the cosmos without dark energy as a factor.

Dark energy currently has no properties describing the nature of its existence, which is why it's assumed to be an essential part of empty space referred to as the cosmological constant, represented by the Greek letter lambda (Λ). The cosmological constant was propounded by Einstein for explaining why the scattered mass through the universe is not pulling back under its own gravity.

The combination of dark matter, which came into prominence with astronomers asserting its evidence to explain the movement of stars within galaxies, and dark energy as factors in explaining the evolution of the universe is known as the Lambda Cold Dark Matter (ΛCDM) model, and it assumes that the universe expands uniformly. While this model is based mostly on Einstein's general theory of relativity, it still leaves much to conjecture.

These approximations are what the researchers of the new study are challenging, saying that these assumptions fail to take into account how large-scale structures in the universe influence its expansion.

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The new model counters the Lambda Cold Dark Matter model and says the expansion varies at different regions depending on the structural changes.

If the new finding receives acceptance, it will impact many models about the evolution of the universe and research in physics.

The study has been published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.