One Step Closer to Understanding Dark Energy

The slide show was great, but the article was disappointing. The only thing new is that more type 1A supernovae have been measured. No models have been ruled out, and no change of direction. I wouldn't call this a step closer, and certainly not "breaking news".

I suppose every bit of evidence fitting a "best-buy" theory is a step in the right direction for its supporters. That's until a bit of evidence someday topples it...

There is a more technical article available. It says "In the cosmology analysis presented here, the statistical errors on Ω_M have decreased by a significant 24% over the K08 Union analysis, while the estimated systematic errors have only improved by 13%." I guess that's enough to excite cosmologists.

-J

Hi Jorrie,

They are probably exited, but I think not as much as when the 2 teams were trying to measure the slowdown of the expansion and found it to be accelerating. I think it's been close to 10 years moving in this direction - could be time for a change. Now with the LHC online, exciting things may be coming.

Thanks for the link. I haven't kept up like you have. What's KO8? "Zero curvature and constant w have been assumed." With the data going farther and farther into the past when the universe was smaller (assuming BB theory), do these assumptions still make sense?

-S

Hi S.

From the article:

Kowalski et al. (2008) (hereafter K08) provided a framework to analyze these and future datasets in a homogeneous manner and created a compilation, called the "Union" SNe Ia compilation, of what was then the world's SN data sets.

AFAIK, zero curvature and the cosmological constant (rather than other forms of dark energy) are still the best-fits for all the data.

-J