Exploring the Possibility of Vacuum Energy as Dark Energy: A Scientific Inquiry

In summary, according to special relativity, mass and energy are equivalent, so because vacuum energy has mass, it should exert a gravitational force on matter. However, because vacuum energy isn't enough to account for the effects of dark energy, it is a candidate for the hottest form of energy in the universe.Woops... i always get that in the wrong direction. Sorry O.P.
  • #71
"Dark Energy" per se can be summed up as not existing simply because "Dark Matter" when it is in an overabundance state will naturally nudge galaxies apart. That does not imply energy. That is merely an accumulation of the unseen mass. When the cause of Dark Matter can be determined, the functions will show that an overabundance of this unseen mass is the reason for any distance fluctuation in galaxies (or suns and planets). The timeframe would be sooooo small, but simply a natural process. Yes, this is stictly my opinion. And yes, Einsteins cosmological constant can be equated to the term "Dark Matter" although he did not think in those terms.
 
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  • #72
Einstein's cosmological constant in no way behaves like dark matter. Dark energy and dark matter are logically (and physically) independent concepts.
 
  • #73
scottbekerham said:
according to special relativity mass and energy are equivalent so because vacuum energy has mass so it should exert a gravitational force on matter . so , why can't dark energy be simply vacuum energy ?

This is something that has intrigued me for a while. When a matter and anti-matter colide,they destroy each other in a massive burst of energy.(cassimir effect).
Is it possible that these collisions create space between objects?
I believe this would better explain the expansion of the universe and how galaxies collide even tho everything in the universe is supposed to be moving away from each other.
No one has figured out how to calculate the true force generated by vacuum energy.
 
  • #74
mikejr82 said:
This is something that has intrigued me for a while. When a matter and anti-matter colide,they destroy each other in a massive burst of energy.(cassimir effect).
Is it possible that these collisions create space between objects?

Casmir effect is something different, and no matter-antimatter collisions don't create unusual amounts of space. Anti-matter is something that gets produced in particle accelerators all of the time, and people use anti-matter routinely for brain and heart scans (google for positron emission tomography).

No one has figured out how to calculate the true force generated by vacuum energy.

They have actually, it's not a hard calculation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_effect
 
  • #75
scottbekerham said:
I think General Relativity should be modified and the current theory is merely an approximation.

So do a lot of other people. The astrophysics database search for modified gravity has about 10000 hits

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/basic_connect?qsearch=modified+gravity

The problem is not just saying "let's modify GR." The hard part is to say "if you modified GR in this way, then you will get observations that do or don't match what we see."

Also one way that physicists thinks instead of talking about *one* possible modification to GR, what you do is to try to classify all possible modifications to GR in several groups and then try to knock them over.
 
  • #76
mikejr82 said:
No one has figured out how to calculate the true force generated by vacuum energy.
Why do you say this? Also, why do you think your suggestion better explains the expansion of space than the Friedmann solution? Have you worked out the relevant quantities in your theory: expansion rate, redshift relations, age of the universe, etc? Can you fit supernova, CMB, and large scale structure data with your idea?
 
<h2>1. What is vacuum energy and how does it relate to dark energy?</h2><p>Vacuum energy is a concept in quantum mechanics that describes the energy present in empty space. It is thought to be the source of dark energy, which is the mysterious force that is causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate.</p><h2>2. How is the possibility of vacuum energy as dark energy being explored?</h2><p>Scientists are using various methods such as observations of the universe, theoretical models, and experiments to study the possibility of vacuum energy as dark energy. They are also analyzing data from the Large Hadron Collider and other particle accelerators to gain a better understanding of vacuum energy.</p><h2>3. What evidence supports the idea of vacuum energy as dark energy?</h2><p>One of the main pieces of evidence for vacuum energy as dark energy is the observation of the accelerating expansion of the universe. This can be explained by the presence of a constant energy density throughout space, which is a characteristic of vacuum energy. Additionally, theoretical models and experiments have shown that vacuum energy could potentially have the properties needed to explain dark energy.</p><h2>4. Are there any potential challenges or limitations to exploring vacuum energy as dark energy?</h2><p>One of the main challenges is that vacuum energy is a highly theoretical concept and there is still much we do not understand about it. Additionally, there are other competing theories for dark energy, so it is important for scientists to continue to gather evidence and conduct further research to support the idea of vacuum energy as dark energy.</p><h2>5. How could understanding vacuum energy as dark energy impact our understanding of the universe?</h2><p>If vacuum energy is confirmed to be the source of dark energy, it would greatly impact our understanding of the universe and its evolution. It could also potentially lead to new technologies and advancements in our understanding of quantum mechanics and fundamental physics.</p>

1. What is vacuum energy and how does it relate to dark energy?

Vacuum energy is a concept in quantum mechanics that describes the energy present in empty space. It is thought to be the source of dark energy, which is the mysterious force that is causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate.

2. How is the possibility of vacuum energy as dark energy being explored?

Scientists are using various methods such as observations of the universe, theoretical models, and experiments to study the possibility of vacuum energy as dark energy. They are also analyzing data from the Large Hadron Collider and other particle accelerators to gain a better understanding of vacuum energy.

3. What evidence supports the idea of vacuum energy as dark energy?

One of the main pieces of evidence for vacuum energy as dark energy is the observation of the accelerating expansion of the universe. This can be explained by the presence of a constant energy density throughout space, which is a characteristic of vacuum energy. Additionally, theoretical models and experiments have shown that vacuum energy could potentially have the properties needed to explain dark energy.

4. Are there any potential challenges or limitations to exploring vacuum energy as dark energy?

One of the main challenges is that vacuum energy is a highly theoretical concept and there is still much we do not understand about it. Additionally, there are other competing theories for dark energy, so it is important for scientists to continue to gather evidence and conduct further research to support the idea of vacuum energy as dark energy.

5. How could understanding vacuum energy as dark energy impact our understanding of the universe?

If vacuum energy is confirmed to be the source of dark energy, it would greatly impact our understanding of the universe and its evolution. It could also potentially lead to new technologies and advancements in our understanding of quantum mechanics and fundamental physics.

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