A new study conducted at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom, which began with the aim of better understanding how gravity behaves outside Earth, has found results that could begin to change understanding of one of the most accepted theories in science: from the great explosion, a big explosion that gave rise to the universe, which is based in part on Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.
According to research, the universe did not have a starting point at the Big Bang. It was always there. “It’s not that Einstein’s theory is wrong. [do espaço], his theory could not be applied, so we discovered new paths,” he stated tilt Physical engineer Bruno Pinto, 25, a Portuguese scientist and author of the study.
The search results were Published in September of this year on arXivLabs, maintained by the University CornellTo publish research that has not yet been submitted to scientific journals. He is waiting for other scientists to review the process.
The article is titled if time He was No Start (If the time has not started in English), it was written with the researcher state synovialPhD student in theoretical physics at Imperial University College London and guided by British physics Helen fi DockerHe is also a teacher at Imperial University College.
What will the new paths be?
In his work the researcher used quantum gravity theory, a relatively new theory in the field of physics called causal group theory, to support his thesis. It is used to study regions of space known as singularities – classic examples of such singularities would be black holes.
Pinto began working with Causal Set Theory while earning a master’s degree in theoretical physics at Imperial University College from London, attracted The basis for the idea of unraveling the concepts of time physics and quantum gravity. “I immediately liked how the theory starts off problems in a very focused way and uses that to suggest a solution,” he said.
According to the researcher, who is currently studying for a PhD in cosmology and string theory at the University of Liverpool, the explanation behind the formation of the universe has mathematical rather than just physical aspects, and Einstein’s theory of relativity does not include an understanding of it. The latest of these areas.
“When we calculate certain quantities in physics using general relativity, such as the force of gravity at a certain point in space, we expect a finite result, such as 10, 100 or 1000. But in some cases [do espaço]There are infinite quantities. For example, the curvature of space-time at the center of a black hole is infinite, ”explains the researcher.
In this aspect Pinto says that science sees limitations on Einstein’s study. This is because an infinite result is not considered physical, because it is not a number that can be determined and used in a mathematical equation.
Thus, it can be considered that singularities (such as a black hole) cannot be explained by physical processes. Thus, the mechanics of Einstein’s theory of general relativity failed to help understand these individual regions.
Another feature of singularities is that they are infinitesimal (which in mathematics means an amount close to zero), which makes them smaller than anything analyzed through the eyes of physics.
And what does the Big Bang have to do with it?
According to the most classic interpretation of Einstein’s theory, the universe began on its own. The Big Bang was the moment when all the matter in existence, concentrated in an infinitesimal point, began to expand violently.
However, if the singularities are infinite, says Pinto, then this phenomenon cannot be considered a beginning, because an infinite thing, by definition, has no beginning or end.
Based on this relationship, the Portuguese researcher and other scientists on his team came to the theoretical understanding that the universe could always exist.
The logical explanation, according to them, enters into causal group theory, which includes related points in space-time where the only connecting structure is the causal relationship between any other elements in time.
It sounds confusing, but the researcher gives an example that is closer to our reality. “We can imagine a causal set like a jigsaw puzzle: If we look at it from a distance, it looks like a continuous picture. But, up close, we see that it is made up of individual pieces of a certain size that we can count.”
Another example is a computer screen, which appears to show us continuous images, but if we present a file Zoom, we see that it is made up of several individual pixels, which have a certain size and we can count on them.
“In our work, the Big Bang would not be considered a beginning. [existir] An infinite causal set of the past, so there will always be something before,” Pinto explained.
This is not to say that the Big Bang did not exist, but rather that it was a moment in the evolution of this causal group, not the beginning of everything that exists.
“It is amazing the amount of physical phenomena that seem completely impossible to our intuition and which we can study and discover empirically,” tilt His passion for the field he studies.
Next steps
The completed article for researchers is available to read free of charge on the arXiv platform. As explained above, research must be subject to peer review, an essential part of scholarly publication, which validates reported science – these are common steps in many areas of academic knowledge.
This process will not be simple, as predictions Causal group theory cannot be tested Through the classical scientific method (such as the use of laboratory tests), but only through mathematical models.
However, the results of Pinto’s study paved the way for other scientists to explore this thesis.
And it is worth strengthening again: the work does not replace the general theory of relativity, but is looking for other measures that will allow to fill in the gaps left by Einstein’s formulas.
“The question now is whether we can identify the dynamics or processes that generate these causal groups and whether they make sense [para o entendimento científico]. For example, they allow themselves to establish a connection with general relativity, which has been well studied ”, concluded Benedict.
