Dark energy explained by relativistic time dilation?

Timeline of the universe. Image credit: NASA/WMAP Science Team

In the recent Hollywood film "Interstellar," a group of scientists journey through a wormhole in space to explore planets with conditions conducive to supporting life on Earth. One of the challenges they face is time dilation: every hour spent gathering data on a particular planet equates to seven years passing on Earth. Einstein's general theory of relativity suggests that time dilation due to gravity is one-way, meaning an object in high gravity experiences time at a slower rate than one in low gravity. Conversely, Einstein's special theory of relativity discusses mutual time dilation between two moving objects, where the times of both objects seem to slow down in relation to each other. This recent study argues that instead of being mutual, time dilation caused by motion is unidirectional, affecting only the moving object. The research, titled "Implication of an Absolute Simultaneity Theory for Cosmology and Universe Acceleration," was released on 23rd December 2014 in the journal PLOS ONE.

Molecular geneticist Professor Edward Kipreos, whose lab focuses on cell cycle regulation, developed an interest in cosmology and the theory of special relativity some years back. Image credit: University of Georgia

A molecular geneticist studying cell cycle regulation, Professor Edward Kipreos developed an interest in cosmology and the theory of special relativity some years back. He explains this phenomenon using Global Positioning System satellites as an example.

Kipreos notes that since the satellites move in free-fall reference frames at high speeds relative to Earth, adjustments must be made for the time dilation effects of their velocity. Without these corrections, the GPS measurements from the satellites would be inaccurate by about two kilometers per day.

This straightforward instance, involving GPS satellites transmitting time signals back to Earth for distance measurement, is rooted in the principles of special relativity and the Lorentz Transformation—a mathematical framework that elucidates the relationship between space and time measurements made by two observers.

“Special relativity is supposed to be reciprocal, where both parties will experience the same time dilation, but all the examples that we have right now can be interpreted as directional time dilation,” Kipreos said. “If you look at the GPS satellites, the satellite time is slowing down, but according to the GPS satellites, our time is not slowing down — which would occur if it were reciprocal. Instead, our time is going faster relative to the satellites, and we know that because of constant communication with the satellites.”

An alternative theory, the Absolute Lorentz Transformation, explains directional time dilation. Kipreos discovered that this theory aligns with existing evidence when the "preferred reference frame" is tied to centers of gravitational mass. For Earth, this frame would be the "Earth-centered non-rotating inertial reference frame," currently used for GPS satellite time dilation calculations.

Kipreos highlighted that applying the Absolute Lorentz Transformation strictly to cosmological data carries significant implications for the universe and dark energy. As the universe expands, cosmological entities like galaxies move away faster due to Hubble expansion. The theory suggests that higher velocities lead to directional time dilation. Consequently, this theory implies that the present universe experiences time dilation compared to the past, where time moves faster.

Supernovae of equal intensity serve as "standard candles" for measuring cosmological distances based on brightness. However, observations in 1998 and 1999 revealed that distant supernovae appeared dimmer than expected, indicating recent acceleration in the universe's expansion.

Kipreos noted, "The universe's accelerated expansion is often attributed to dark energy, yet its nature and recent emergence remain unclear."

The projected effects of faster time in the past would result in a linear supernova plot at all distances, suggesting no acceleration in the universe's expansion. In this scenario, the presence of dark energy would be unnecessary.