why is the expansion of the universe accelerating?

Question

If dark matter is causing a force greater than the gravitational attractive forces then how does this happen?

The universe has been proven to be expanding,

http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9802/27/accelerating.universe/

Answer 1

Don't trust any answers. This is cutting edge stuff and nobody really knows the answer. There is a fine line between the expansion slowing down and accelerating and it will take many years of observations to be sure one way or another.

Answer 2

Nobody is certain whether or not the expansion is accelerating or not.

However, the only theories I know of concerning an accelerating expansion would probably rule out dark matter, and here's why:

The concept of dark matter was invented to try to explain why galaxies spin the way they do. Looking at spinning gravities, the way they spin implies that they are far more massive than they appear. This excess mass cannot be seen, ergo, dark matter provides the excess mass.

However, this theory assumes that gravitional forces always attract. You can dispense with dark matter all together if you assume that gravitation also has a repulsive element which is so small that it only comes into play at huge distances - say the distances across the width of a galaxy. If this is true, then it's not a surprise if the acceleration of the universe is expanding since the repulsive nature of the mass in the universe would quite likely overcome the attractive nature over these even huger distances.

So, which do you want to assume: that dark matter (something nobody has ever seen, felt or heard) exists, or that there is something wrong with our theory of gravitation over galactic scales - we already know that there's something wrong with the theory of gravitation at quantum scales.

I know none of that answers your question, but I think your question needs rethinking, or you need to explain why you think the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Why exactly does the presence of dark matter concern you?

Answer 3

The expansion of the universe is an expansion of space not an expansion in space, the very fabric of space itself is stretching. As the theory goes dark energy excerts a repulsive force on the fabric of space, and the expansion of space creates dark energy so you can see where this leads. As the universe expands more dark energy increases the rate of expansion and therefore more dark enery is created. There is a finit amount of matter within the observable universe and this cannot therfor under gravity halt the expansion. Not only is more dark energy produced as the universe expands but it is produced at an ever increasing rate. At this time only galactic distances can show the accelerating expansion, but in several trillion years the forces will become strong enough for it to show up between the stars and the galaxies will dissipate, then between solar system objects, then matter, atoms, nucleons until all that is left are isolated photons each inhabiting thier own observable universe.

Answer 4

The universe is comprised of a series of unrelated, non-sequential events. These events had a direction long before we knew that they existed and we do not know what's going on over 15 billion light years away. Just because some events are farther from us now than they were last year, does not mean that the universe is expanding. It means that universal events are traveling on the same path. The scientists like to say that the universe is expanding because it plays to their Big Bang theory. In order for the Big Bang theory to work, the Universe had to have a beginning and has to have an end. We don't know that this is true.

We don't know how fast universal events were moving over 15 billion years ago and we can only theorize about an end to the universe because our sight is limited by the speed of light and 15 billion years is the universal horizon that we can't see over. Perhaps, universal events move at their own individual constant rates which are affected by gravitational fields as they near another universal event.

How does infinity expand?

Answer 5

it is a very cool question and it somewhat makes you think of. I consider you in that there are some "holes" interior the belief. Scientists could no longer clarify why they got here upon that the universe is increasing at an increasing fee, so as that they stepped forward a sparkling term called dark potential. we have not any concept what it is, or the place it is coming from, yet hence that our universe is increasing. i'm somebody that believes that our universe's develop IS accelerating (this modification into the main precise length taken, and till somebody can disprove it, it is the final that we've). in actuality, is that we don't understand what dark potential is, and we are able to in all possibility by no potential understand (in our lifetime it is). Who knows of...possibly there are a number of multiverses outdoors of our universe whose gravity is somewhat pulling aside our universe. It useful could be exciting to be alive whilst they the two disprove or instruct of dark be counted's life!

Answer 6

"dark energy" is the name given to the mysterious underlying cause of the observed expansion acceleration, not dark matter. Dark matter is thought to exist too, though, based on more local dynamics such as galaxy revolution speed. Like regular matter, it would only help slow expansion. The nature of dark energy is very much unknown, even to the point of whether it should be considered a form of "energy" or not. It behaves like a background pressure to the universe, and is consistent with a negative cosmological constant - a free parameter in general relativity that Einstein ultimately presumed to be zero. By being of unknown cause, I mean that nobody can explain why the constant has its apparent value. The mystery is considered to be of great significance because it may ultimately connect general relativity to quantum mechanics, irreconcillable in their present forms.

Answer 7

Quite simply we do not yet know.

The fact that the expansion of the universe is accelerating has only been discovered in the last 10 years or so. this has been calculated by observing supernova explosions across the universe.

Scientist have postulated that in addition to matter and dark matter there is also dark energy and that this is behind the accelerating expansion.

But at present this is just a name for a phenomenon we cannot yet explain.

Answer 8

This is only my theory, but surely when the big bang happened a lot of matter was blasted outwards, there must have be a leading edge (in the shape of a sphere). Surely all this dark matter at the edge is pulling everything else towards it whilst the collective mass of everything else within is trying to pull everything back in on itself.

Answer 9

There is a finite amount of matter. Both dark and otherwise. As the mass separates its gravitational effect becomes less.

Answer 10

It's showing you safety. A girl levitated and she can free countries from war by receiving $10 billion from them.