Does dark energy have anything to do with expansion?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between dark energy and the expansion of the universe, exploring whether dark energy is associated with the creation of new space or if they are unrelated concepts. Participants delve into theoretical implications and questions regarding the nature of dark energy and its effects on cosmic expansion.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that dark energy could be linked to the creation of new space, questioning the relationship between these concepts.
  • Others clarify that dark energy is theorized to explain the observed acceleration of the universe's expansion, suggesting that "new space" needs a precise definition.
  • A participant raises the idea that if dark energy is causing the expansion, then the energy associated with the newly created space could have implications for thermodynamic models.
  • Further questions are posed regarding whether the acceleration of expansion can be perceived as gravity, referencing Einstein's hypothesis, and the potential impact of dark energy on the universe's total entropy.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying degrees of understanding and interpretation of the concepts, with some agreement on the role of dark energy in cosmic expansion, but no consensus on the relationship between dark energy and the creation of new space or the implications of these ideas.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the need for clearer definitions of terms like "new space" and the complexities involved in relating dark energy to thermodynamic models, indicating that assumptions and definitions are critical to the discussion.

EnumaElish
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I know next to nothing about either concept, but that does not stop me from asking:

Have physicists/cosmologists considered dark energy possibly being associated with creation of new space?

Or are they totally unrelated? Or even opposite concepts?
 
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EnumaElish said:
I know next to nothing about either concept, but that does not stop me from asking:

Have physicists/cosmologists considered dark energy possibly being associated with creation of new space?

Or are they totally unrelated? Or even opposite concepts?

Your headline asks about dark energy and expansion. Here the theory is that dark energy is an explanation for the observation that the expansion is accelerating. "new space" is a concept that you will have to define.
 
That's not such an off-the-wall question, though. If the universe is expanding (getting larger) and the "empty" space thus created is suffused with the zero-point energy of the quantum vacuum, some questions arise. If DE is causing the expansion of the universe, and the space thus created itself has a non-zero energy, how are these related, and is there a thermodynamic model that can relate them?
 
mathman said:
Your headline asks about dark energy and expansion. Here the theory is that dark energy is an explanation for the observation that the expansion is accelerating. "new space" is a concept that you will have to define.
I was using the term "creation of new space" equivalently with "expansion," which may or may not be technologically correct.

Thanks to your post I understand the existing theory a little better, in very broad brush terms.

I have two additional questions on the subject:

1. Do we experience/observe the acceleration (of expansion) as gravity, per Einstein's hypothesis that gravity is not distinguishable from acceleration?

2. What effect does dark energy have on the total entropy of the universe, if any?
 

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