The Universe May Be Significantly Older Than We Thought

A groundbreaking study has cast doubt on the prevalent cosmological model, implying that the age of our universe could be nearly double of what we previously believed, offering a fresh perspective on the enigma of the "impossible early galaxy problem."

The recently proposed model by Rajendra Gupta, an adjunct professor of physics at the University of Ottawa, extends the timeline of galaxy formation by several billion years. This suggests that the universe may be 26.7 billion years old, contrary to the previous estimate of 13.7 billion years.

Traditionally, the universe's age has been determined by studying the oldest celestial bodies, measuring the time elapsed since the Big Bang, and analyzing the redshift of light from far-flung galaxies. New techniques and technological advancements in 2021 allowed scientists to estimate our universe's age at 13.797 billion years using the Lambda-CDM concordance model.

However, the existence of stars like Methuselah, seemingly older than the universe itself, and the discovery of evolved early galaxies by the James Webb Space Telescope, have puzzled many scientists. These early galaxies, that emerged a mere 300 million years post the Big Bang, display a mass and maturity level usually associated with billions of years of cosmic evolution, baffling the scientific community.

Gupta revisits Zwicky's tired light theory, which suggests the redshift of light from distant galaxies is due to photons losing energy over colossal cosmic distances. Although previously conflicting with observations, Gupta suggests that this theory, when allowed to coexist with the expanding universe, allows the redshift to be reinterpreted as a hybrid phenomenon rather than purely due to expansion.

In conjunction with Zwicky's theory, Gupta introduces the concept of evolving "coupling constants," as proposed by Paul Dirac. These constants, which dictate the interactions between particles, could have fluctuated over time. By permitting these constants to evolve, the timeline for the formation of early galaxies can be extended, offering a plausible explanation for their advanced development and mass.

Gupta also challenges the traditional interpretation of the "cosmological constant," denoting dark energy responsible for the universe's accelerating expansion. He instead proposes a constant that accounts for the evolution of the coupling constants. This alteration in the cosmological model could solve the enigma surrounding small galaxy sizes in the early universe, paving the way for more accurate observations.

Reference:

R Gupta. JWST early Universe observations and ΛCDM cosmology. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2023; DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stad2032