Reinventing cosmology: New research puts age of universe at 26.7 -- not 13.7 -- billion years
Our universe could be twice as old as current estimates, according to a new study that challenges the dominant cosmological model and sheds new light on the so-called "impossible early galaxy problem."
"Our newly-devised model stretches the galaxy formation time by a several billion years, making the universe 26.7 billion years old, and not 13.7 as previously estimated," says author Rajendra Gupta, adjunct professor of physics in the Faculty of Science at the University of Ottawa.
For years, astronomers and physicists have calculated the age of our universe by measuring the time elapsed since the Big Bang and by studying the oldest stars based on the redshift of light coming from distant galaxies. In 2021, thanks to new techniques and advances in technology, the age of our universe was thus estimated at 13.797 billion years using the Lambda-CDM concordance model.
However, many scientists have been puzzled by the existence of stars like the Methuselah that appear to be older than the estimated age of our universe and by the discovery of early galaxies in an advanced state of evolution made possible by the James Webb Space Telescope. These galaxies, existing a mere 300 million years or so after the Big Bang, appear to have a level of maturity and mass typically associated with billions of years of cosmic evolution. Furthermore, they're surprisingly small in size, adding another layer of mystery to the equation.
Zwicky's tired light theory proposes that the redshift of light from distant galaxies is due to the gradual loss of energy by photons over vast cosmic distances. However, it was seen to conflict with observations. Yet Gupta found that "by allowing this theory to coexist with the expanding universe, it becomes possible to reinterpret the redshift as a hybrid phenomenon, rather than purely due to expansion."
In addition to Zwicky's tired light theory, Gupta introduces the idea of evolving "coupling constants," as hypothesized by Paul Dirac. Coupling constants are fundamental physical constants that govern the interactions between particles. According to Dirac, these constants might have varied over time. By allowing them to evolve, the timeframe for the formation of early galaxies observed by the Webb telescope at high redshifts can be extended from a few hundred million years to several billion years. This provides a more feasible explanation for the advanced level of development and mass observed in these ancient galaxies.
Moreover, Gupta suggests that the traditional interpretation of the "cosmological constant," which represents dark energy responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe, needs revision. Instead, he proposes a constant that accounts for the evolution of the coupling constants. This modification in the cosmological model helps address the puzzle of small galaxy sizes observed in the early universe, allowing for more accurate observations.
- Astrophysics
- Cosmic Rays
- Space Telescopes
- Dark energy
- Ultimate fate of the universe
- Galaxy formation and evolution
- Cosmic microwave background radiation
- Andromeda Galaxy
- Spitzer space telescope
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Materials provided by University of Ottawa . Original written by Bernard Rizk. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference :
- R Gupta. JWST early Universe observations and ΛCDM cosmology . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , 2023; DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stad2032
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August 29, 2023
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How old is the universe exactly? A new theory suggests that it's been around for twice as long as believed
by Rajendra Gupta, The Conversation
Early universe observations by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) cannot be explained by current cosmological models. These models estimate the universe to be 13.8 billion years in age, based on the big-bang expanding universe concept .
My research proposes a model that determines the universe's age to be 26.7 billion years , which accounts for the JWST's " impossible early galaxy " observations.
Impossible early galaxies refer to the fact that some galaxies dating to the cosmic dawn—500 to 800 million years after the big bang—have disks and bulges similar to those which have passed through a long period of evolution. And smaller in size galaxies are apparently more massive than larger ones , which is quite the opposite of expectation.
Frequency and distance
This age estimate is derived from the universe's expansion rate by measuring the redshift of spectral lines in the light emitted by distant galaxies. An earlier explanation of the redshift was based on the hypothesis that light loses energy as it travels cosmic distances. This "tired light" explanation was rejected as it could not explain many observations.
The redshift of light is similar to the Doppler effect on sound: noises appear to have higher frequency (pitch) when approaching, and lower when receding. Redshift, a lower light frequency, indicates when an object is receding from us; the larger the galaxy distance, the higher the recessional speed and redshift.
An alternative explanation for the redshift was due to the Doppler effect: Distant galaxies are receding from us at speeds proportional to their distance, indicating that the universe is expanding. The expanding universe model became favored by most astronomers after two astronomers working for Bell Labs, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, accidentally discovered cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation in 1964, which the steady-state model could not satisfactorily explain.
The rate of expansion essentially determines the age of the universe. Until the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope in the 1990s, uncertainty in the expansion rate estimated the universe's age ranging from seven to 20 billion years. Other observations led to the currently accepted value of 13.8 billion years, putting the big-bang model on the cosmology pedestal.
Limitations of previous models
Research published last year proposed to resolve the impossible early galaxy problem using the tired light model . However, tired light cannot satisfactorily explain other cosmological observations like supernovae redshifts and uniformity of the cosmic microwave background .
I attempted to combine the standard big-bang model with the tired light model to see how it fits the supernovae data and the JWST data, but it did not fit the latter well. It did, however, increase the universe's age to 19.3 billion years.
Next, I tried creating a hybrid model comprising the tired light and a cosmological model I had developed based on the evolving coupling constants proposed by British physicist Paul Dirac in 1937 . This fitted both the data well, but almost doubled the universe's age.
The new model stretches galaxy formation time 10 to 20 fold over the standard model, giving enough time for the formation of well-evolved "impossible" early galaxies as observed.
As with any model, it will need to provide a satisfactory explanation for all those observations that are satisfied by the standard cosmological model.
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Mixing models
The approach of mixing two models to explain new observations is not new. Isaac Newton considered that light propagates as particles in his theory of light, which prevailed until it was replaced by the wave theory of light in the 19th century to explain diffraction patterns observed with monochromatic light.
Albert Einstein resurrected the particle-like nature of light to explain the photoelectric effect—that light has dual characteristics: particle-like in some observations and wave-like in others. It has since become well-established that all particles have such dual characteristics.
Another way of measuring the age of the universe is to estimate the age of stars in globular clusters in our own galaxy— the Milky Way . Globular clusters include up to a million stars, all of which appear to have formed at the same time in the early universe.
Assuming all galaxies and clusters started to form simultaneously, the age of the oldest star in the cluster should provide the age of the universe (less the time when the galaxies began to form). For some stars such as Methuselah, believed to be oldest in the galaxy, astrophysical modeling yields an age greater than the age of the universe determined using the standard model , which is impossible.
Einstein believed that the universe is the same observed from any point at any time—homogeneous, isotropic and timeless. To explain the observed redshift of distant galaxies in such a steady-state universe , which appeared to increase in proportion to their distance (Hubble's law), Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky, proposed the tired light theory in 1929 .
New information
While some Hubble Space Telescope observations did point towards the impossible early galaxy problem, it was not until the launch of JWST in December 2021, and the data it provided since mid-2022, that this problem was firmly established.
To defend the standard big-bang model, astronomers have tried to resolve the problem by compressing the timeline for forming massive stars and primordial black holes accreting mass at unphysically high rates .
However, a consensus is developing towards new physics to explain these JWST observations.
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Our universe is actually 27 billion years old, almost double the current age estimate
Picture this: our universe is not the spry 13.7 billion-year-old entity that we once believed it to be. Instead, it could be a grand 26.7 billion years old.
This finding, according to a new study by Rajendra Gupta, adjunct professor of physics at the University of Ottawa , fundamentally changes our understanding of the universe and may solve the puzzle of the “impossible early galaxy problem.”
For years, we’ve been estimating the age of the universe using two primary methods. First, by calculating the time that has passed since the Big Bang , the colossal explosion believed to have birthed our universe. And second, by studying the oldest stars, based on the redshift of light coming from far-off galaxies.
The redshift phenomenon happens when light from an object moving away from us stretches towards the red end of the light spectrum. By measuring this redshift, we’ve been able to calculate the age of the universe.
In 2021, using a model called the Lambda-CDM concordance, scientists estimated the universe to be about 13.797 billion years old.
Stars can’t be older than the universe
But there’s a problem. Some stars, like the Methuselah, appear to be older than the universe itself. And that’s not all. The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered early galaxies that seem to be far too advanced for their age.
These galaxies were around just 300 million years after the Big Bang but had the mass and maturity typically seen in galaxies billions of years old. What’s more, they’re much smaller than we’d expect, adding another piece to the puzzle.
This is where Fritz Zwicky’s tired light theory comes into play. According to this theory, the redshift we see might not be due to galaxies moving away from us. Instead, it might be because light loses energy as it travels across the universe.
Reinterpreting redshift to account for our universe’s age
For a long time, this theory conflicted with what we saw in the universe. But according to Gupta, if we let this theory coexist with an expanding universe, we can reinterpret the redshift as a combination of both these phenomena.
But Gupta didn’t stop there. He also introduced a new idea based on physicist Paul Dirac’s hypothesis about “coupling constants”.
These are fundamental physical rules that control how particles interact. According to Dirac, these constants might have changed over time.
If we let these constants evolve, then the time for early galaxies to form extends from a few hundred million years to several billion years. That could explain why the galaxies we see are so advanced for their age.
Finally, Gupta challenges the traditional interpretation of the “cosmological constant.” This represents dark energy pushing the universe to expand faster.
Instead, he proposes a new constant that accounts for the evolving coupling constants. This change could help us understand why the early galaxies were smaller than expected. It also offers a more accurate picture of the universe.
In the words of Gupta, “Our newly-devised model stretches the galaxy formation time by several billion years, making the universe 26.7 billion years old, and not 13.7 as previously estimated.”
The universe might be much older than we thought, and that could shed light on some of its biggest mysteries.
More about the big bang theory
The Big Bang Theory is the prevailing cosmological model explaining the existence of the observable universe. The theory provides a comprehensive explanation for a broad range of observed phenomena. These include the abundance of light elements, the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, and the large scale distribution of galaxies in space.
Here’s a breakdown of the key components of the Big Bang Theory:
The Singularity
The Big Bang Theory postulates that the universe originated from a singularity, a point of infinite density and temperature, approximately 13.8 billion years ago.
A singularity defies our current understanding of physics. To fully understand it would require a unification of general relativity (which describes gravity) and quantum mechanics (which describes the behavior of particles at the smallest scales).
The Expansion
The term “Big Bang” might conjure images of an explosion. However, it’s more accurate to think of it as an expansion. Instead of matter exploding into a pre-existing space, space itself has been and continues to expand, carrying galaxies with it.
This theory of an expanding universe was first proposed by Georges Lemaître, a Belgian physicist. It was later confirmed by Edwin Hubble’s observations that distant galaxies were moving away from us in every direction.
This is often described as the “redshift” because the light from these galaxies shifts towards the longer (and redder) wavelengths as they move away from us.
Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)
The CMB is one of the key pieces of evidence supporting the Big Bang Theory. It’s the afterglow left from the hot, dense state of the early universe, and it permeates the entire cosmos.
In the 1960s, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson accidentally discovered the CMB while using a radio telescope for a different experiment. The uniformity of this radiation in every direction was one of the major confirmations of the Big Bang Theory.
Abundance of Light Elements
The Big Bang Theory explains the observed abundance of light elements (like hydrogen, helium, and lithium) in the universe. In the first few minutes after the Big Bang, conditions were right for nuclear fusion to occur. This created these light elements in a process known as Big Bang nucleosynthesis.
Large Scale Structure of the Universe
The Big Bang Theory also provides a framework for understanding the large scale structure of the universe, including the distribution of galaxies and galaxy clusters, which is believed to be influenced by the distribution of dark matter.
In the first fraction of a second after the universe began, it’s thought to have undergone a rapid expansion known as inflation. This concept, proposed by physicist Alan Guth in the 1980s, helps explain why the universe appears homogeneous (or similar) in all directions and resolves other long-standing puzzles in cosmology.
The Big Bang Theory is supported by a wide range of observations and provides the basis for our understanding of the universe’s history and its current structure. It’s important to note that the theory continues to evolve as new observations are made and as physicists refine their models to better reflect the data.
Cosmologists are actively researching topics like dark energy, dark matter, and the nature of the universe’s expansion. This research could further refine our understanding of the Big Bang and the history of the universe.
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