In 1998, two independent teams of astrophysicists discovered a baffling phenomenon: the Universe is expanding at an ever-faster rate. This discovery led to the concept of dark energy, an invisible force that separates the matter in space at an increasing pace, acting opposite to gravity. Despite its significant influence on the cosmos, dark energy remains a concept, with scientists struggling to identify its basic physical properties and confirm its existence.
The cosmological constant, a term introduced by Albert Einstein, is a concept that accounts for the acceleration bit that normal physics can’t totally explain. This constant embodies the energy of empty space, and it is believed to be a property of space itself. As the universe expands, it creates more “space,” thereby increasing the amount of dark energy. This expansion does not dilute as the universe expands, meaning that relative to the amount of matter and dark matter in the universe, the proportion of dark energy increases over time.