Alex Wilkins is a writer.
The early universe might have had an important player.
A. Schaller is a member of theSTScI.
The test to measure a leading candidate for dark energy did not find evidence that it is real.
According to the researchers behind the test, the basic chameleon model isn't an explanation for dark energy.
It has been suggested that dark energy is to blame for the observation that the stars are moving in opposite directions. The strong force, weak force and electromagnetism are the four fundamental forces that make up the universe.
The strength of the force depends on how dense it is. It would cause matter to be separated in less dense areas of space. It is difficult to measure on Earth because it is so small.
People have tried to measure the force between a test mass and groups of atoms in a lab, or between a test mass and a pendulum, but limitations in the size or scope of those experiments mean that the force might still have been present at energy scales.
An experiment that uses a magnetically levitated strip of graphite and a test mass to look for evidence for a mysterious effect at previously unmeasured scales has been devised by a group of people.
He and his team designed the experiment to be so thin that the effect of gravity on them is insignificant, and placed the test mass inside a cage which blocks out electric fields. The optical microscope and laser system were used to measure the displacement between the two mass.
He says that they should be able to detect the force of the dark energy if it is true. We have a very sensitive force sensor, but we couldn't find anything.
The result is important for narrowing down the scales and energies of a force. If dark energy works at different energy scales, it doesn't mean it won't exist.
While their work has made a possible link between the chameleon force and dark energy more unlikely, a chameleon force unrelated to dark energy still exists.
The researchers hope to improve their apparatus by cooling it to very low temperatures so they can further probe the idea and test other dark energy candidates at smaller energy scales.
Nature physics is a journal.
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