Strange object near Earth reveals the "5th force" of the universe?

(NLDO) - The object believed to carry "seeds of life" older than Earth continues to surprise scientists.

Tracking data from a strange object called Bennu could give us new clues about a potential fifth fundamental force in the universe, according to a study just published in the scientific journal Communications Physics.

NASA spacecraft approaches mysterious object Bennu - Graphic photo: NASA

There are four fundamental forces in nature: Gravity, Electromagnetism, Strong Nuclear Force, Weak Nuclear Force.

However, there has long been a hypothesis about a fifth force, a combination of the above four forces, beyond the scope of the standard model of physics. It could be transmitted by hypothetical ultralight particles, a type of dark matter.

Bennu has just given scientists an important clue to tracking this mysterious force through the chaos of the universe.

The name Bennu is not unfamiliar. It is a near-Earth asteroid of scientific interest. It has a small probability of colliding with Earth in the future and is made up of the early material of the Solar System, including "seeds of life".

Last year, NASA's OSIRIS-REx even brought back a few samples from the asteroid to Earth for scientific study.

It previously collected a wealth of observational data during its close encounters with Bennu in 2018-2021.

This data, combined with measurements taken from Earth, puts a limit on the mass of the ultralight particles that make up the universe's fifth force - if they actually exist.

This incredibly detailed dataset has the potential to reveal very subtle effects of hypothetical forces, explains co-author astrophysicist Yu-Dai Tsai from Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

Such a force emerging from string theory (a theory of quantum gravity) has been proposed as a means of altering gravity on large scales, potentially creating particles that could be suitable candidates for dark matter.

These particles would behave according to what is known as the Yukawa interaction, revealing a new type of field that can influence the orbits of large objects over long distances through subtle changes to Newton's law of gravity.

In this case, the researchers found that standard physics can explain Bennu's path very well.

This does not completely rule out a fifth force, but it does suggest that if it exists, its strength or range of action would be below a certain level.

While this study doesn't directly detect a fifth force, it does provide further evidence for how precise observations of asteroids can reveal hidden parts of the universe, as well as narrowing the criteria we can use to confirm a fifth force.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/vat-the-ky-la-gan-trai-dat-tiet-lo-ve-luc-thu-5-cua-vu-tru-196241012085121975.htm