Dark energy: It was Einstein’s idea 80 yrs ago
RELATED
LONDON: Physicist Albert Einstein
was the first to come across the concept of 'dark energy' , much before
the idea became popular and the genius regretted it as "the biggest
mistake of my life" , researchers claim. A dialogue between Einstein and
Austrian physicist Erwin Schrodinger suggests the pair stumbled upon the idea of dark energy 80 years before its time, while toying with what they thought was an ugly fudge factor.
In 1917, Einstein's novel equations of spacetime had geometric terms on the left and energy on the right. A constant on the left kept the universe steady, suiting observations at the time.
However, in 1929, it became clear that the universe is expanding and Einstein dubbed the constant "the biggest mistake of my life" , the 'New Scientist' reported. Historian Alex Harvey of New York University re-analysed papers from the physicists, published in 1918. In one Schrodinger toyed with Einstein's equations, moving the constant from the left to the right.
The simple move transformed the constant from part of the geometry of space-time to a source of energy for the universe. "While mathematically it doesn't make any difference, physically it does," says Harvey.
Einstein responded, rather cheekily, that the properties of this new energy term were either nothing or demand a "non-observable negative density in interstellar spaces" . "That turns out to be dark energy," Harvey says — which only emerged again in 1998 to explain the universe's accelerating expansion.
In 1917, Einstein's novel equations of spacetime had geometric terms on the left and energy on the right. A constant on the left kept the universe steady, suiting observations at the time.
However, in 1929, it became clear that the universe is expanding and Einstein dubbed the constant "the biggest mistake of my life" , the 'New Scientist' reported. Historian Alex Harvey of New York University re-analysed papers from the physicists, published in 1918. In one Schrodinger toyed with Einstein's equations, moving the constant from the left to the right.
The simple move transformed the constant from part of the geometry of space-time to a source of energy for the universe. "While mathematically it doesn't make any difference, physically it does," says Harvey.
Einstein responded, rather cheekily, that the properties of this new energy term were either nothing or demand a "non-observable negative density in interstellar spaces" . "That turns out to be dark energy," Harvey says — which only emerged again in 1998 to explain the universe's accelerating expansion.
No comments:
Post a Comment