The universe is expanding much faster than previously thought.
Astrophysics from the USA, headed by Nobel laureate in physics Adam Riess found that the universe is expanding much faster than was shown by previous studies. The work of authors published in The Astrophysical Journal.
The calculated value of the Hubble constant, which describes the rate of expansion of the Universe, as well 73,23 kilometers per second per megaparsec, which is five and nine percent, respectively, higher than estimates of the WMAP mission (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) and Planck.
Scientists have proposed two explanations for the results of their observations. The first is associated with changes of dark energy, which in the standard cosmological model is responsible for the accelerated expansion of the Universe. The second hypothesis relates to the possible existence of dark radiation: streams moving at relativistic speed particles, which can be including neutrinos.
For the study used the Hubble space telescope. With his help, astrophysicists compared the observed brightness of about 2.4 thousands of Cepheids and the distance to 300 sne Ia from 19 galaxies. These stars are used by astronomers to determine the cosmological distances and the values of the Hubble constant.
The new rating means that the distance between space objects doubled every 9.8 billion years. The accuracy of the measurement of the Hubble parameter, achieved by scientists, equal to 2.4 per cent. In the future, astrophysicists are going to increase it to one percent.
