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Physicists Debate Whether Supermassive Black Holes Are The Source Of Dark Energy

According to a radical theory that has been proposed in the world of physics, physicists debate whether supermassive black holes are the source of dark energy. The idea has sparked a debate among physicists, with some arguing for its potential validity, while others are skeptical.

Author:Hajra Shannon
Reviewer:Paula M. Graham
Feb 19, 20231.7K Shares97.9K Views
According to a radical theory that has been proposed in the world of physics, physicists debate whether supermassive black holes are the source of dark energy. The idea has sparked a debate among physicists, with some arguing for its potential validity, while others are skeptical.

What Is Dark Energy?

It is hypothesized that around 68% of the total energy in the universe is composed of a mysterious force referred to as dark energy. In the late 1990s, astronomers were analyzing faraway supernovae and discovered that they were moving away from us at a faster rate than they had been in the past. This led to the first proposed theory of its existence. As a result of this, they came to the conclusion that there must be some unknown force that is pushing against the cohesion of the universe. This force is now referred to as dark energy.

The Radical Theory

The controversial theory that was put up by a group of scientists suggests that the supermassive black holes that are thought to exist at the center of each galaxy are the source of dark energy. According to this idea, the energy that is produced by the black holes should be sufficient to explain the observed acceleration in the expansion of the universe.
The idea behind this speculation is that when matter is sucked into a supermassive black hole, it gives off energy in the form of radiation. This radiation generates a negative pressure that acts against the gravitational pull, which ultimately results in the expansion of the universe. The researchers who developed this idea believe that the energy released in this manner by supermassive black holes might account for the observed acceleration of the expansion of the universe, eliminating the requirement for the concept of "dark energy."
A visualization of a black hole
A visualization of a black hole

The Debate

The theory, despite the fact that it is intriguing, is not without its critics. Some physicists have pointed out that the theory does not explain all of the observational evidence for dark energy, such as the pattern of variations in the cosmic microwave background radiation. Others have argued that the theory does explain all of the observational data for dark energy.
Some skeptics believe that the quantity of energy that is emitted from supermassive black holes is insufficient to explain the observed acceleration in the expansion of the universe. They contend that in order for the theory to be valid, there would need to be an impossible number of black holes that emit energy into the universe in order to account for the acceleration that is observed.
In spite of the controversy surrounding it, the hypothesis is starting to make headway in the scientific world. Those who are in favor of the theory contend that it offers a fruitful path for the continuation of research into the nature of dark energy and has the potential to lead to new understandings of the way that supermassive black holes behave.

Conclusion

The debate over the role of supermassive black holes in the creation of dark energy is ongoing, and it may be some time before a definitive answer is reached. However, the theory is an exciting development in the world of physics and highlights the importance of continuing to explore new and innovative ideas in our quest to understand the nature of the universe.
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Hajra Shannon

Hajra Shannon

Author
Paula M. Graham

Paula M. Graham

Reviewer
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