How did the universe come into existence, and what early processes shaped everything that followed? A new study published in Physical Review Research takes aim at this fundamental question. Scientists from Spain and Italy have introduced a model that reimagines what happened moments after the universe was born. Their approach could upend long-standing ideas about the forces and events that governed the universe’s earliest evolution.
To explore these beginnings, the researchers ran advanced computer simulations that question the traditional “inflation” theory. According to that theory, the universe expanded at an extraordinary rate within a tiny fraction of a second after it came into existence. The inflation model relies on several interconnected variables, all of which must align to make the theory work.
The newly proposed model offers a simpler explanation. It suggests that gravitational waves — predicted by general relativity — may be the true driving force behind the universe’s formation, giving rise to galaxies, stars, planets, and ultimately life on Earth. The researchers link this idea to a mathematical construct known as De Sitter space, named for Dutch mathematician Willem De Sitter, who collaborated with Albert Einstein in the 1920s on understanding the structure of the cosmos.
“For decades, we have tried to understand the early moments of the Universe using models based on elements we have never observed,” said Dr. Raúl Jiménez, who studies experimental sciences & mathematics at ICREA in Spain and is a co-author on the study. “What makes this proposal exciting is its simplicity and verifiability. We are not adding speculative elements but rather demonstrating that gravity and quantum mechanics may be sufficient to explain how the structure of the cosmos came into being.”
The concept of gravitational waves dates back to 1893 and 1905, when Oliver Heaviside and Henri Poincaré first proposed related ideas. Albert Einstein expanded on this in 1916, describing gravitational waves as ripples in the fabric of space-time in his general theory of relativity. These waves can originate from powerful cosmic events such as supernovae, merging black holes, and colliding neutron stars. Because they are incredibly faint, detecting them requires highly sensitive instruments. It was not until September 2015 that scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), with facilities in Washington and Louisiana, achieved the first confirmed detection.
The birth of the universe continues to be one of science’s greatest puzzles. The Big Bang theory remains the prevailing explanation, yet many questions persist — especially about what might have occurred before that explosive beginning.
Carl Sagan once reflected on humanity’s deep connection to the cosmos, saying, “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
We may never know exactly how the universe began and the processes responsible for you reading this article right now. But like the simplicity this study presents, perhaps this study is simply a way for us to know the universe itself a little bit better.
What new discoveries about the origins of the universe will researchers make in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Adapted from an article originally published on Universe Today.
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