The rapid expansion of the universe has been the most perplexing puzzle in physics.

To unravel this cosmic puzzle, scientists turn to the fundamental laws of physics, including Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

A team of scientists compared Einstein’s theory of general relativity with data from the Dark Energy Survey. They discovered a “slight discrepancy” in the behavior of gravity at different cosmic moments.

This means that this theory may not hold for all parts of the universe.

The study says that observed gravitational distortions in distant galaxies show subtle discrepancies with the predictions of Einstein’s theory.

Distortion of space-time

Einstein’s theory of general relativity fundamentally changed our understanding of gravity.

He proposed that massive objects distort the fabric of spacetime, much like a heavy ball bends a sheet of rubber.

These depressions in spacetime, caused by the gravitational pull of massive celestial bodies, are known as gravitational wells.

When massive objects such as galaxies or black holeswarping of the space-time gravitational lens fabric occurs. This deformation bends the path of light passing through the vicinity, similar to how a glass lens bends light.

This phenomenon allows scientists to study distant objects and gain insights into the structure and expansion of the universe.

The observation of the solar eclipse in 1919 confirmed Einstein’s theory of general relativity. She showed that light bends twice as much as Newton’s theory predicted due to the combined effects of warped space and time.

Analysis of distant galaxies

The Dark Energy Survey attempts to investigate the causes underlying the accelerated expansion of the universe. This astronomical survey mapped hundreds of millions of galaxies, which helped the team in this new study.

“In our study, we used these data to directly measure the distortion of time and space, allowing us to compare our results with Einstein’s predictions,” said Camille Bonvin, associate professor at the University of Geneva.

The team looked at 100 million galaxies at different points in the history of the universe – specifically 3.5, 5, 6 and 7 billion years ago. This analysis allowed them to study the evolution of gravity wells over time.

“We found that in the distant past – 6 and 7 billion years ago – the depth of the wells lines up well with Einstein’s predictions. However, closer to today, between 3.5 and 5 billion years ago, they are slightly shallower than Einstein predicted,” explained Isaac Tutusaus, assistant astronomer at Paul Sabatier University.

This suggests that gravity might behave differently on large cosmic scales than predicted Einstein’s theory.

”Our results show that Einstein’s predictions have a 3-sigma mismatch with measurements. In the language of physics, such an incompatibility threshold piques our interest and calls for further investigation. But this incompatibility is not large enough, at this stage, to invalidate Einstein’s theory, said Nastassia Grimm, postdoctoral researcher at UNIGE, in Press release.

The researchers are now working on examining data from the Euclid Space Telescope.

Euclid’s precise measurements of gravitational lensing and his observation of 1.5 billion galaxies will allow a more precise understanding of the distortions of spacetime. It will help to better test Einstein’s theory of general relativity on a universal scale.

The findings were published in the journal Communication of nature.