A new study from researchers at the University of Ottawa reexamines the accepted picture of what the Universe is made of. The prevailing view holds that ordinary matter, dark matter, and dark energy shape cosmic evolution. The fresh proposal argues that dark matter may not exist in space, offering an alternate route to explain what we observe. The study appears in the Astrophysical Journal.
Physics professor Rajendra Gupta advances the CCC plus TL model, a framework that blends two foundational ideas. First, the covariance coupling constant, also known as CCC, describes how interactions between forces may change over the age of the cosmos. Second, the aging light hypothesis, or TL, suggests that light loses energy as it traverses vast distances across the expanding universe. Together, these concepts form a cohesive explanation for how fundamental forces and the behavior of photons evolve with time.
The researchers applied the CCC plus TL model to a broad set of astronomical observations. They examined how galaxies are distributed across large scales and how the light from distant epochs has changed as it travels toward us. When these observations are interpreted through the CCC plus TL lens, the model aligns with several key features of the cosmic web and the history of light emission from early cosmic times. This alignment challenges the standard interpretation that dark matter accounts for roughly a quarter of the universe’s energy content and that ordinary matter makes up only a small portion of the rest.
Central to the aging light idea is the notion that photons experience a gradual loss of energy as they cover enormous distances. This energy drain could result from interactions with matter, with other photons, or with yet undiscovered physical processes. In the CCC framework, the strength of particle interactions is treated as a parameter that can shift as the universe ages, which may help explain why light and matter appear to behave differently over cosmic timescales.
As with any provocative hypothesis, the CCC plus TL model invites careful scrutiny and independent verification. Proponents emphasize that the proposal does not simply replace dark matter with a single mechanism; instead, it modifies how we think about the evolution of forces and the propagation of light through the cosmos. If the model continues to match observed galaxy statistics and the spectral evolution of light from distant sources, it could reshape discussions about the composition of the universe and the dynamics that govern its growth. In turn, this line of inquiry may influence future surveys and the interpretation of data from major observatories, including those designed to map galaxy distributions and to trace the faint glow of primordial light.
A former astrophysicist noted the broader implications of these discussions, suggesting that the debate touches on questions about what could be observable by civilizations far beyond Earth. Such reflections underscore the speculative edge of cosmology, where theoretical constructs meet observational limits and the urge to understand the universe in new terms remains strong.