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Concept information

cosmology > dark energy

Preferred term

dark energy  

Definition

  • A hypothetical form of energy that fills all the space and tends to increase the rate of expansion of the Universe. Assuming the existence of dark energy is a way to explain recent observations that the Universe appears to be expanding at an increasing rate. Dark energy seems to be a kind of anti-gravity force and is supposed to be related to vacuum energy. Where gravity pulls things together at the more local level, dark energy tears them apart on the grander scale. The acceleration equation, one of Einstein's equations for the homogeneous Universe, indicates that if the Universe is accelerating, the pressure of the driving component should be strongly negative. (An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics, by M. Heydari-Malayeri, https://dictionary.obspm.fr/index.php?formSearchTextfield=dark+energy&formSubmit=Search&showAll=1)

Broader concept

Entry terms

  • phantom energy

In other languages

URI

http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/MDL-Q0WPZ7SW-8

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