UCL-led Researchers Use AI to Gain Deeper Insight into Dark Energy
A UCL-led team of researchers has made significant strides in understanding dark energy by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI). By analyzing a comprehensive map of dark and visible matter spanning the last 7 billion years, the team has been able to extract more precise information about the properties of dark energy.
The findings, recently submitted to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and available on the arXiv preprint server, stem from the Dark Energy Survey collaboration. Through the use of AI techniques, the researchers were able to double the precision of key characteristics of the universe derived from the map.
Key Points from the Study:
– Dark energy, believed to constitute around 70% of the universe, is responsible for the accelerated expansion of the cosmos.
– The team’s innovative approach has provided insights into the overall density of dark energy with unprecedented accuracy.
– The new level of precision has enabled researchers to discard certain universe models that were previously considered plausible.
Lead author Dr. Niall Jeffrey from UCL Physics & Astronomy noted, By leveraging AI to analyze computer-simulated universes, we have enhanced our estimates of crucial universe properties by a factor of two. This advancement has not only increased precision but has also eliminated the need for a significant increase in data collection.
Dr. Lorne Whiteway, co-author from UCL Physics & Astronomy, pointed out, Our results support the prevailing notion of dark energy as a ‘cosmological constant.’ However, there is still room for alternative explanations, such as potential deviations in our understanding of gravity.
The Dark Energy Survey’s map, which covers a substantial portion of the Southern Hemisphere, was derived using weak gravitational lensing techniques. This method involves observing how light from distant galaxies is distorted by intervening matter’s gravitational pull as it travels to Earth.
Looking Ahead:
– Future dark universe projects, including the European Space Agency‘s Euclid mission, are expected to provide additional valuable data.
– These upcoming initiatives will shed more light on the universe’s large-scale structures, potentially confirming or challenging existing cosmological models.
The Dark Energy Survey collaboration, hosted by the US Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, has involved over 400 scientists from 25 institutions across seven nations. Their groundbreaking work, culminating in the analysis of hundreds of millions of galaxies, signifies a significant advancement in our understanding of dark energy.
