Is Space Sticky? Standard Dark Energy Theory Is Challenged by a New Study

New DESI data cast doubt on the conventional Lambda-CDM model by suggesting that galaxies are retreating more quickly than anticipated.

Dark energy, the enigmatic force responsible for the universe’s accelerated expansion, is seen as a continuous backdrop in the conventional Lambda-CDM model. However, recent observations from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) point to a discrepancy with this theory: galaxies seem to be retreating a little quicker than expected. According to a recent preprint, the discrepancy might be resolved by considering space as a viscous “sticky fluid.” According to this theory, the universe could be “stickier” than previously believed, with a ghostly viscosity impeding its expansion.

The Viscous Fluid of Space

The vacuum may have a “bulk viscosity,” or a little drag on cosmic expansion, according to Khan’s article. Viscosity, for instance, is comparable to the difference between pouring water and honey; when space expands, it becomes somewhat sticky. According to his theory, space is an elastic medium whose viscosity is produced by microscopic longitudinal “phonon” vibrations, or sound waves in a vacuum.

The model is said to match DESI data; the observed cosmic slowing is consistent with the phantom barrier that would restrict expansion. DESI discovered that galaxies are retreating somewhat more quickly than Lambda-CDM predicts, which might ease a notable tension.

Consequences and Prospects

Khan’s preprint should be handled carefully because it is unpublished and unreferenced. “We should approach cautiously—this is only a hypothesis,” warns Sutter. If true, this theory would represent “a paradigm shift in our understanding of the nature of the vacuum of space.” Future research using the Euclid and DESI telescopes is required to confirm if these “spectres” accurately describe the expansion of our universe. The “Lambda CDM model” is currently in its customary position.

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