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Dark energy as a mirage
Astrophysics · Submitted 27 Nov 2007
abstract compiled · 2026-09-23 · no language-model review
The authors' main claim By treating the transition redshift to the void-dominated era as a free parameter, we find a phenomenological fit to the observations from the CMB anisotropy, the position of the baryon oscillation peak, the magnitude-redshift relations of type Ia supernovae, the local Hubble flow and the nucleosynthesis, resulting in a concordant model of the universe with 90% dark matter, 10% baryons, no dark energy, 15 Gyr as the age of the universe and a natural value for the transition redshift z_0=0.35.
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The abstract, sentence by sentence
Motivated by the observed cosmic matter distribution, we present the following conjecture: due to the formation of voids and opaque structures, the average matter density on the path of the light from the well-observed objects changes from Omega_M ~ 1 in the homogeneous early universe to Omega_M ~ 0 in the clumpy late universe, so that the average expansion rate increases along our line of sight from EdS expansion Ht ~ 2/3 at high redshifts to free expansion Ht ~ 1 at low redshifts. To calculate the modified observable distance-redshift relations, we introduce a generalized Dyer-Roeder method that allows for two crucial physical properties of the universe: inhomogeneities in the expansion rate and the growth of the nonlinear structures. By treating the transition redshift to the void-dominated era as a free parameter, we find a phenomenological fit to the observations from the CMB anisotropy, the position of the baryon oscillation peak, the magnitude-redshift relations of type Ia supernovae, the local Hubble flow and the nucleosynthesis, resulting in a concordant model of the universe with 90% dark matter, 10% baryons, no dark energy, 15 Gyr as the age of the universe and a natural value for the transition redshift z_0=0.35. Unlike a large local void, the model respects the cosmological principle, further offering an explanation for the late onset of the perceived acceleration as a consequence of the forming nonlinear structures. Additional tests, such as quantitative predictions for angular deviations due to an anisotropic void distribution and a theoretical derivation of the model, can vindicate or falsify the interpretation that light propagation in voids is responsible for the perceived acceleration.
background contribution method result interpretation main claim
| # | sentence | role | the authors' own work | states the main conclusion | strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s0 | Motivated by the observed cosmic matter distribution, we present the following conjecture: due to the formation of voids and opaque structures, the average matter density on the path of the light from the well-observed objects changes from Omega_M ~ 1 in the homogeneous early universe to Omega_M ~ 0 in the clumpy late universe, so that the average expansion rate increases along our line of sight from EdS expansion Ht ~ 2/3 at high redshifts to free expansion Ht ~ 1 at low redshifts. | contribution 0.95 | 0.48 | 0.53 | speculative 0.99 |
| s1 | To calculate the modified observable distance-redshift relations, we introduce a generalized Dyer-Roeder method that allows for two crucial physical properties of the universe: inhomogeneities in the expansion rate and the growth of the nonlinear structures. | method 0.97 | 0.92 | 0.04 | asserted 0.98 |
| s2 | By treating the transition redshift to the void-dominated era as a free parameter, we find a phenomenological fit to the observations from the CMB anisotropy, the position of the baryon oscillation peak, the magnitude-redshift relations of type Ia supernovae, the local Hubble flow and the nucleosynthesis, resulting in a concordant model of the universe with 90% dark matter, 10% baryons, no dark energy, 15 Gyr as the age of the universe and a natural value for the transition redshift z_0=0.35. | result 1.00 | 0.95 | 0.46 | asserted 1.00 |
| s3 | Unlike a large local void, the model respects the cosmological principle, further offering an explanation for the late onset of the perceived acceleration as a consequence of the forming nonlinear structures. | interpretation 0.98 | 0.61 | 0.12 | asserted 0.98 |
| s4 | Additional tests, such as quantitative predictions for angular deviations due to an anisotropic void distribution and a theoretical derivation of the model, can vindicate or falsify the interpretation that light propagation in voids is responsible for the perceived acceleration. | future work 0.98 | 0.18 | 0.06 | hedged possibility 0.86 |
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The paper
Original abstract
Motivated by the observed cosmic matter distribution, we present the following conjecture: due to the formation of voids and opaque structures, the average matter density on the path of the light from the well-observed objects changes from Omega_M ~ 1 in the homogeneous early universe to Omega_M ~ 0 in the clumpy late universe, so that the average expansion rate increases along our line of sight from EdS expansion Ht ~ 2/3 at high redshifts to free expansion Ht ~ 1 at low redshifts. To calculate the modified observable distance-redshift relations, we introduce a generalized Dyer-Roeder method that allows for two crucial physical properties of the universe: inhomogeneities in the expansion rate and the growth of the nonlinear structures. By treating the transition redshift to the void-dominated era as a free parameter, we find a phenomenological fit to the observations from the CMB anisotropy, the position of the baryon oscillation peak, the magnitude-redshift relations of type Ia supernovae, the local Hubble flow and the nucleosynthesis, resulting in a concordant model of the universe with 90% dark matter, 10% baryons, no dark energy, 15 Gyr as the age of the universe and a natural value for the transition redshift z_0=0.35. Unlike a large local void, the model respects the cosmological principle, further offering an explanation for the late onset of the perceived acceleration as a consequence of the forming nonlinear structures. Additional tests, such as quantitative predictions for angular deviations due to an anisotropic void distribution and a theoretical derivation of the model, can vindicate or falsify the interpretation that light propagation in voids is responsible for the perceived acceleration.
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References
How the literature uses it
27 arXiv papers cite this in 37 sentences
Papers citing it · 27 sentences without a confident label
Cites it as background 9 papers
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Since the end of the nineties it has been suggested by various groups [ref] that an isotropic but inhomogeneous Lemaître-Tolman-Bondi universe could also induce an apparent dimming of the light of distant supernovae, in this case due to local spatial gradients in the expansion rate and matter density, rather than due to late time acceleration.
Large scale structure simulations of inhomogeneous LTB void models · Introduction · 0.81
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Since the end of the nineties it has been suggested by various groups [ref] that an isotropic but inhomogeneous Lemaître-Tolman-Bondi (LTB) universe could also induce an apparent dimming of the light of distant supernovae, in this case due to local spatial gradients in the expansion rate and matter density, rather than due to late time acceleration.
The radial BAO scale and Cosmic Shear, a new observable for Inhomogeneous Cosmologies · Introduction · 0.80
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This type of so-called “large void models" can be described by a spherically symmetric Lemaître-Tolman-Bondi (LTB) metric, and have been studied as an alternative to the standard $Λ$CDM scenario [ref] .
Tension in the Void: Cosmic Rulers Strain Inhomogeneous Cosmologies · Introduction · 0.92
What it cites · 93 sentences without a confident label
Uses the method or tool of 1 paper
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For the values $Ω̅_B=0.1$, $h̅=0.44$ and $Ω̅_0=1$, the fitting formula of Hu and Sugiyama [ref] yields $z_dec = 1101.35$ as the decoupling redshift, for which we use the approximation $z_dec ≃1100$ throughout.
Small Scale Cosmological Perturbations: An Analytic Approach · The cosmic microwave background · 0.92
Uses data or values from 3 papers
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More specifically, due to the different scaling of radial and angular distances, the exact distance measure constrained by the data reads as [ref] : [equation] As the actual observations are made in the redshift space and the distance-redshift relation depends on the cosmological model, the "measured" values quoted in [ref] are prior-dependent.
Detection of the Baryon Acoustic Peak in the Large-Scale Correlation Function of SDSS Luminous Red Galaxies · Galaxy distribution · 0.86
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We use the Riess et. al. gold sample of $182$ type Ia supernovae [ref] to study how the nonlinear CHDM model fits the SN observations.
New Hubble Space Telescope Discoveries of Type Ia Supernovae at z > 1: Narrowing Constraints on the Early Behavior of Dark Energy · Type Ia supernovae · 1.00
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The overall result from deducing the abundances of the light elements from the spectra of stars and galaxies is that the baryon density falls within the range $0.017 ≤Ω̅_B h̅^2 ≤0.024$ at $95$% confidence level [ref] .
Big-Bang nucleosynthesis (Particle Data Group mini-review) · The Big Bang Nucleosynthesis · 0.97
Compares with 4 papers
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[ref], [ref] and [ref] for the observable Hubble constant are all consistent with the low redshift measurements of the expansion rate that should specifically probe the observable Hubble constant; the value $H_0 = 66 kms^-1Mpc^-1$ sits firmly within the limits of the final results from the Hubble Key Project: $H_0 = 72 ±8 kms^-1Mpc^-1$ [ref] or $H_0 = 62.3 ±5.2 kms^-1Mpc^-1$ [ref] .
The Hubble Constant: A Summary of the HST Program for the Luminosity Calibration of Type Ia Supernovae by Means of Cepheids · The Hubble Key Project · 0.96
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[ref], [ref] and [ref] for the observable Hubble constant are all consistent with the low redshift measurements of the expansion rate that should specifically probe the observable Hubble constant; the value $H_0 = 66 kms^-1Mpc^-1$ sits firmly within the limits of the final results from the Hubble Key Project: $H_0 = 72 ±8 kms^-1Mpc^-1$ [ref] or $H_0 = 62.3 ±5.2 kms^-1Mpc^-1$ [ref] .
Final Results from the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project to Measure the Hubble Constant · The Hubble Key Project · 0.96
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At large redshifts, this nonlinear CHDM model is similar to the linear CHDM model by Hunt and Sarkar [ref] .
Multiple inflation and the WMAP 'glitches' II. Data analysis and cosmological parameter extraction · Conclusions · 0.94
Cites as support 10 papers
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Perhaps the most natural explanation would be, that the standard FRW description breaks down when the nonlinearities become dominant in the late universe and the need for a tiny cosmological constant is a manifestation of this breakdown, not evidence for dark energy [ref] .
Dark energy from backreaction · Introduction · 0.98
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By taking the junction conditions between the different regions into account, the emergence of the acceleration has been verified within exact solutions of general relativity [ref] .
Can inhomogeneties accelerate the cosmic volume expansion? · Backreaction due to inhomogeneous expansion · 0.99
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By taking the junction conditions between the different regions into account, the emergence of the acceleration has been verified within exact solutions of general relativity [ref] .
The Possibility of Cosmic Acceleration via Spatial Averaging in Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi Models · Backreaction due to inhomogeneous expansion · 0.99
Cites as background 22 papers
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For a more thorough description of the linear CHDM model, see [ref] .
Multiple inflation and the WMAP 'glitches' II. Data analysis and cosmological parameter extraction · Comparing the model with cosmological observations · 0.93
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A good baseline for the studies is the model by Blanchard, Douspis, Rowan-Robinson and Sarkar [ref] , and especially its refined version by Hunt and Sarkar [ref] .
Constraints on large scale inhomogeneities from WMAP-5 and SDSS: confrontation with recent observations · Comparing the model with cosmological observations · 0.90
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A good baseline for the studies is the model by Blanchard, Douspis, Rowan-Robinson and Sarkar [ref] , and especially its refined version by Hunt and Sarkar [ref] .
An alternative to the cosmological 'concordance model' · Comparing the model with cosmological observations · 0.90
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