Incredible: ‘direct proof’ claim that gravity is broken

A scientist has observed a “gravitational anomaly” in certain star systems that could upset a fundamental assumption about the universe, according to a new study. The anomaly occurs when loosely orbiting stars, known as the broad binary, move in ways that defy established gravity models based on the ideas of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. This extremely interesting discovery points to a possible alternative physics theory that does not depend on the existence of strange unidentified phenomena such as dark matter to explain the phenomena we see in space.

Direct evidence of gravitational anomaly

Gravity is one of the most familiar forces we experience in our daily lives, but it’s also one of the hardest to explain. In the standard model of cosmology, a well-tested theoretical framework, gravity is governed by Newton’s laws and Einstein’s general theory of relativity. The standard model also predicts that there is an unknown substance called dark matter that makes up the vast majority of the universe’s mass.

Although the standard model is a solid theory, some objects in space still cannot be explained to fit this theory. That’s why in the 1980s scientists began developing another explanation of gravity, known as Modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND), which does not require the existence of dark matter.

Kyu-Hyun Chae, an astronomer at Sejong University, tested these models by analyzing the accelerations of stars in 26,500 large binaries about 650 light-years from Earth using images taken by the European Space Agency’s Gaia observatory. Scientists had previously looked for signs that gravity was changing in these systems, but Chae went a step further and developed a new code that takes into account specific details such as the rate at which loosely orbiting stars form “nested” binaries, including their close stellar companions.

The new data shows that when their gravitational acceleration drops below one nanometer per square second, these stars begin to move in ways that are more in line with the MOND models than with the standard model. According to the study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, Chae said the findings provide “direct evidence for the degradation of standard gravity in weak acceleration” and reveal “a constant gravitational anomaly in favor of MOND-based modified gravity.”

More observations and theoretical studies are needed

While the results are exciting, Chae said future observations and theoretical work will be needed to improve the discovery. Chae also noted that these findings challenge some parts of the standard model, but that the model is still the best way to see many other phenomena in the universe. “I would like to emphasize that Newtonian dynamics and all the successful aspects of general relativity in the non-MOND field will continue to be cherished. For example, the description of black holes with general relativity remains valid and has nothing to do with the low acceleration limit anomaly. We’re just talking about a revision of the low acceleration limit,” Chae said.

Even so, any updates or revisions to the standard model based on these findings could have a profound impact on our understanding of the universe.

“Since standard cosmology is based on general relativity, cosmology currently needs a major overhaul,” said Chae. “I think we’re entering an extremely exciting time period right now. When the ultraviolet catastrophe of Maxwell’s theory of electrodynamics was discovered more than a century ago.” “We are now experiencing a low acceleration gravitational catastrophe. It is exciting to see where this will take the world.”