Does Hubble's law implies accelerated expansion?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the implications of Hubble's law in relation to the concept of accelerated expansion of the universe. Participants explore the relationship between the rate of expansion and the introduction of dark energy and matter, examining whether Hubble's law indicates that the universe's expansion is accelerating.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that Hubble's law implies that as the universe expands, the speed of separation between points increases, indicating accelerated expansion.
  • Another participant argues that the rate of expansion should not be conflated with speed, emphasizing that it is a percentage per unit time.
  • A different viewpoint states that Hubble's law does not provide information about the acceleration or deceleration of the universe's expansion over time.
  • One participant notes that observations from 1998 revealed that the universe's expansion is currently accelerating, while the Hubble factor is decreasing over time, suggesting complexities in the interpretation of Hubble's law.
  • Another participant agrees with the initial claim about increasing speed of expansion, linking it to a constant Hubble parameter and suggesting it corresponds to exponential acceleration.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing interpretations of Hubble's law and its implications for the acceleration of the universe's expansion. No consensus is reached regarding whether Hubble's law directly implies accelerated expansion.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved nuances regarding the definitions of speed and rate of expansion, as well as the implications of the Hubble parameter's variability over time depending on cosmological models.

LedPhoton
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I`ve read that the universes expansion is accelerating. To explain this we have introduced concept of Dark matter and energy.
However, Hubble's law: v = H*d means that a speed that separates two points is proportional to their distance. But since they are moving apart the distance becomes greater and so the speed must become greater. I think this means the speed of expansion is increasing. So the expansion of the universe is accelerating.
I`m sure I`ve got something wrong here, is the acceleration we explain with Dark energy a "surplus"?
Hope I made myself clear.
 
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No, you are confusing yourself by thinking of the rate of expansion as a speed. It's not. It's a percentage per unit time, approximately H = 0.007% per million years.
 
No. It is just saying that universe is expanding. It says nothing about universes acceleration or deacceleration of expansion throughout time.
 
There are a number of subtlies underlying the answer to your question.

Observations and measurements in 1998 surprised most scientists, including those doing the work, finding the expansion of the universe is currently accelerating , although the Hubble factor is still decreasing over time.

The Hubble "constant" is not really constant varing with time according to your choice of cosmological model.

Try as a starter: https://www.physicsforums.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=2413312
and New Wrights tutorial and FAQ: http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/cosmology_faq.html
 
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But since they are moving apart the distance becomes greater and so the speed must become greater. I think this means the speed of expansion is increasing.
Exactly. What you describe here is the case of a constant Hubble parameter, which is equivalent to exponential acceleration.
In a non-accelerating universe the Hubble parameter will be proportinal to 1/t. Distance d = v*t, v=const -> H = d/v ~ 1/t.
 

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