NRAO: Measurements Bolster Challenge to Model of Universe

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NRAO: Measurements Bolster Challenge to Model of Universe

Post by bystander » Thu Jun 11, 2020 5:06 pm

New Distance Measurements Bolster
Challenge to Basic Model of Universe

National Radio Astronomy Observatory | 2020 Jun 10
nrao20df02_hubbleconstant_artimp_SD.jpg
Artist's conception illustrating a disk of water-bearing gas orbiting the supermassive
black hole at the core of a distant galaxy. By observing maser emission from such
disks, astronomers can use geometry to measure the distance to the galaxies, a key
requirement for calculating the Hubble Constant. Credit: S. Dagnello, NRAO/AUI/NSF

A new set of precision distance measurements made with an international collection of radio telescopes have greatly increased the likelihood that theorists need to revise the “standard model” that describes the fundamental nature of the Universe.

The new distance measurements allowed astronomers to refine their calculation of the Hubble Constant, the expansion rate of the Universe, a value important for testing the theoretical model describing the composition and evolution of the Universe. The problem is that the new measurements exacerbate a discrepancy between previously measured values of the Hubble Constant and the value predicted by the model when applied to measurements of the cosmic microwave background made by the Planck satellite.

“We find that galaxies are nearer than predicted by the standard model of cosmology, corroborating a problem identified in other types of distance measurements. There has been debate over whether this problem lies in the model itself or in the measurements used to test it. Our work uses a distance measurement technique completely independent of all others, and we reinforce the disparity between measured and predicted values. It is likely that the basic cosmological model involved in the predictions is the problem,” said James Braatz ...

The Megamaser Cosmology Project. XIII. Combined Hubble Constant Constraints ~ D. W. Pesce et al
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