The Dark Energy Problem: An Inspiration for New Physics

Abstract

As much as physics has advanced in the 20th century and the beginning of the current one, reaching astounding accuracy when comparing modern theories of particle physics and general relativity to experimental results, there has been a signi cant progress in observational and theoretical cosmology. Despite these progresses, we have not been able to account for what seems to be nearly 73% of the energy budget of the universe and hence its mystic name 'dark energy'. The dark energy problem provides an inspiration for seeking new laws or symmetries in nature: more precisely, a search for concise and fundamentally simple relationship between the 4D Planck mass and the present size of the universe (or the present value of the Hubble expansion parameter).

Keywords: Observational and theoretical cosmology; Dark energy; 4D Planck mass

The Himalayan Physics

Vol.2, No.2, May, 2011

Page: 57-60

Uploaded Date: 1 August, 2011