The DESI collaboration, working from Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, has mapped millions of galaxies to trace how matter and dark energy shaped the cosmos over billions of years. In this study, scientists applied the cosmologically coupled black hole (CCBH) hypothesis, which posits that collapsing stars generate black holes that convert stellar matter into dark energy.
This approach links dark energy growth directly to star formation, a process tracked by the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. The model explains DESI's data more naturally, according to Gregory Tarle of the University of Michigan, who notes it is the first time these observations fit a physical model so cleanly.
A central outcome concerns neutrinos, ghost-like particles that pervade the universe. Earlier analyses risked suggesting negative neutrino masses, a physically implausible result. With the CCBH model, however, the inferred neutrino masses are positive and align with terrestrial experiments.
The hypothesis also sheds light on other puzzles. By converting matter into dark energy, it predicts a slightly higher Hubble expansion rate today, easing tension between different cosmological measurements. It further implies that dark energy did not exist before stars formed, growing only as stellar populations increased.
While researchers stress the theory still requires more evidence and rigorous testing, DESI's detailed mapping is already providing a fertile ground for evaluating new ideas. "Working with DESI on the three-year data, it's been a game-changer," said Kevin Croker of Arizona State University.