The universe has a flat structure in continuous expansion

2000/05/02 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Astrofisika

It is estimated that the universe was born about 15,000 million years ago as a result of a spectacular explosion. It was called the Big Bang, the Big Bang. From then on the universe begins to expand. This was demonstrated by astronomer Hubble. All the galaxies in the area were moving away. As they were increasingly seen, the only possible consequence was the continuous expansion of the universe.

Using the speed of this expansion, they calculated when all matter began to disperse, that is, they knew the age of the universe. A few months ago the results of some observations of the famous Hubble Telescope were published. They were more accurate data of the propagation speed and it was announced that it was faster than expected. Therefore, the universe was «younger». New data 14.500 million years, as we know.

The future of the universe

What has happened with all this matter is a leading question in the research of astronomers. Prestigious scientists have published new contributions. One of the most important has been Albert Einstein. He enunciated the complex theory of relativity. From this theory a new idea was raised about the future of the universe. The universe expanded by the explosion, but not forever. At one point, due to the attraction of all matter, the expansion was paralyzed and it would be wrapped again until it collapsed. This effect is called Big Crunch, that is, the Great Collapse. Then there may be another Big Bang that completes the cycle.

Project ‘Boomerang

Now, with an international team of researchers, we have had new data. His head is Italian, Paolo de Bernardia, and works at La Sapienza University in Rome. He has published the results together with 35 other scientists in the journal Nature. To carry out the observations, the microwave telescope installed in a balloon launched from Antarctica has been used. On this occasion it has climbed to about 38 kilometers above the terrestrial surface and the microwaves of a part of the universe have been analyzed. The flight took place in December 1998, with a duration of 10 days. The information received has been transferred to the laboratory and published this week.

Because a part of the light left by the Big Bang explosion has turned over time into a microwave. The microwaves are not distributed homogeneously in the universe and this is what has been studied in the Boomerang project. For this purpose, a high-sensitivity telescope has been used. Scientists are able to distinguish microwaves from our galaxy and from outside.

This has meant a change in the idea of the evolution of the universe. They say that in the radiation data studied, it is observed that the expansion of the universe has an almost flat geometry. But that has a curious consequence. In this way, matter will not be able to stop in its propagation and recompacting and collapse in the original point. It is an expansion without limits. This is a theory contrary to what Einstein wrote, but that is why we should not ignore what he said.