Which one of the following statements best describes the term ‘h...
In a study published recently, scientists from Germany and the U.K. led with a radical explanation for the Hubble tension.
About Hubble Tension:
- The "hubble tension" refers to a discrepancy between the measurements of the rate of expansion of the universe, known as the Hubble constant.
- The Hubble constant, denoted as H0, describes the rate at which galaxies are moving away from each other due to the expansion of the universe.
- If a researcher wants to estimate the Hubble constant, they have two main avenues. These are the cosmic distance ladder and the cosmic microwave background (CMB).
- Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB):
- CMB is a sea of photons, the particles of light, present throughout the universe. They are left over from the Big Bang, its afterglow.
- Scientists have measured temperature changes in the CMB and studied its large-scale properties using complicated trigonometry.
- Based on these studies, cosmologists have estimated space to be expanding at around 68 kilometres per second per megaparsec ((km/s)/Mpc). That is, an object one megaparsec (3.26 million lightyears) away is moving away at 68 km/s)/Mpc.
- Cosmic distance ladder:
- It is a set of techniques used to measure the distance to objects that are close, further away, or very far away from the Earth. One object in particular is the Cepheid variable star.
- The Cepheid variables have a unique feature: their brightness varies in a predictable way over time.
- Based on how bright a Cepheid variable is, scientists can estimate how far away it is. Using this, cosmologists have estimated based on various Cepheid variables (and other such objects) is 73 (km/s)/Mpc.
- Thus, these measurements have yielded slightly different values for the Hubble constant. This discrepancy is known as the Hubble tension.
- The significance of the Hubble tension is that it could potentially indicate unknown physics or systematic errors in the measurements.
- Resolving the tension is crucial for refining our understanding of the universe's expansion and its underlying physics.
Hence option a is the correct answer.
View all questions of this test
Which one of the following statements best describes the term ‘h...
Hubble Tension:
The term "Hubble tension" refers to a discrepancy between the measurements of the rates of expansion of the universe. This tension arises from the fact that different methods of measuring the Hubble constant, which is a measure of the rate of expansion of the universe, yield slightly different results.
Explanation:
- The Hubble constant is a key parameter in cosmology as it helps us understand the age, size, and fate of the universe.
- One way to measure the Hubble constant is through observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is the afterglow of the Big Bang.
- Another method involves observing the brightness and redshift of distant supernovae.
- The discrepancy arises when these two methods yield different values for the Hubble constant. This tension has implications for our understanding of the fundamental properties of the universe.
Significance:
- Resolving the Hubble tension is crucial for accurately determining the age and size of the universe.
- It could also provide insights into the nature of dark energy and dark matter, which are believed to make up a significant portion of the universe.
In conclusion, the term "Hubble tension" describes the discrepancy between measurements of the rates of expansion of the universe, highlighting the need for further research and observations to better understand the fundamental properties of our cosmos.