Scientists find a surprising clue to why the universe’s expansion doesn’t add up
Scientists are investigating whether primordial magnetic fields from the Big Bang could resolve the 'Hubble tension,' a discrepancy in measurements of the universe's expansion rate. The research aims to reconcile indirect and direct methods of calculating the Hubble constant.
Why it matters
Resolving the Hubble tension is fundamental to our understanding of cosmology and the evolution of the universe.
It's well established that the universe is expanding, but there's serious disagreement among scientists over how fast it's happening.
Two of our best ways of measuring the cosmic expansion rate, the Hubble constant , give answers that are stubbornly at odds. This presents a major problem in modern cosmology known as the Hubble tension.
However, we wondered if an idea originally proposed to solve another cosmic mystery - the origin of cosmic magnetic fields - could help us unlock the mystery of the Hubble tension.
Our recently published research explores whether extremely weak magnetic fields left over from the earliest moments after the Big Bang might help us unpack the Hubble tension, while offering a glimpse into physics at energies far beyond anything achievable on Earth.
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