Something inexplicable is happening in the universe: a discovery suggests the existence of new physics.

Astronomers have conducted a detailed analysis of recently acquired data about the Universe, particularly regarding its large-scale structures, such as galaxy clusters. As a result, discrepancies were found in the formation of cosmic structures, hinting at the existence of new physics. The study has been published in the journal Physical Review Letters, reports Phys.

Observations of the Universe Do Not Align with the Main Cosmological Model

The standard cosmological model, Lambda-CDM, describes the evolution of the Universe over its 13.8 billion-year history, including the expansion of space and the structure of the Universe. This model incorporates cold dark matter, ordinary matter, radiation, and a cosmological constant—dark energy. The latter is considered constant over time and is responsible for the accelerated expansion of the Universe.

The Lambda-CDM model successfully explains many cosmic observations, including the large-scale structure of the Universe. However, it fails to account for cosmic inflation, the phenomenon of rapid expansion right after the Big Bang, as well as the nature of dark energy and dark matter.

Recent observations of the cosmos have revealed anomalous phenomena that contradict the Lambda-CDM model. The authors of the new study aimed to determine whether these findings indeed suggest the existence of new physics.

New data indicated a discrepancy between direct and indirect measurements of the Universe's expansion rate, inconsistencies between direct and indirect measurements of matter accumulation for forming large-scale structures, and signs that dark energy may not remain constant over extended periods in cosmic history.

The data analysis revealed that the growth of cosmic large-scale structures occurs at a slower rate than predicted by the standard cosmological model. At the same time, astronomers found no evidence suggesting that dark energy could change over time, implying that it remains a cosmological constant.

Regarding the expansion rate of the Universe, it does not align with observational data in the local cosmos; rather, it varies over very large distances.

There May Be New Physics in the Universe

According to astrophysicists, one of the most significant issues is the detection of slower growth of cosmic structures in the late Universe compared to the early Universe. Even the presence of changes in dark energy cannot explain this phenomenon, although scientists, as stated before, believe such changes do not exist.

The likelihood that the slowed growth of cosmic structures is merely a coincidence is very low—approximately 1 in 300,000. This suggests that something inexplicable is occurring in the Universe, which could be a sign of new physics, say the study's authors.

This may be related to the mysterious nature of dark matter, which could consist of hypothetical axion particles, or it could involve dark matter interacting with itself or with ordinary matter in ways other than through gravity. Astrophysicists believe this might explain the slowed growth of large cosmic structures.

The study's findings challenge current understanding of the formation of all cosmic structures and, in particular, the standard cosmological model. Astrophysicists assert that new data are needed to clarify the situation and determine whether our understanding of large-scale structures in the Universe should be revised.