An international team of astronomers has brought forth a bold new theory that may explain the origins of so-called “dark energy” – an unknown form of energy that supposedly affects the acceleration of universe’s expansion and which is believed to comprise much of the cosmos.
In a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the researchers postulate that the dark energy might be originating from black holes.
The team arrived at this conclusion after taking a closer look at supermassive black holes in elliptical galaxies, where these black holes should not have enough matter to fuel their further growth but apparently keep gaining mass all the same.
Having discovered evidence of “cosmologically coupled mass growth among these black holes,” the researchers suggest that “stellar remnant black holes are the astrophysical origin of dark energy.”
As some media outlets were quick to point out, the results of this study may challenge our understanding of black holes.