The article “Can Rotation Solve the Hubble Puzzle?” by Balázs Endre Szigeti, István Szapudi, Imre Ferenc Barna, and Gergely Gábor Barnaföldi, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (April 2025), presents an innovative approach to addressing the persistent Hubble tension. The authors propose that introducing a slight global rotation into the universe’s dynamics could reconcile the differing measurements of the Hubble constant obtained from early-universe observations (like the cosmic microwave background) and late-universe observations (such as Type Ia supernovae) .
Key Insights:
- Gödel-Inspired Rotating Model: Drawing inspiration from Gödel’s rotating universe solution, the authors suggest a slowly rotating dark-fluid variant of the standard cosmological model. This model introduces an angular velocity today of approximately ω₀ ≈ 2 × 10⁻³ Gyr⁻¹, which intriguingly aligns with the maximal rotation permissible without leading to closed time-like curves, thus preserving causality .
- Resolution of the Hubble Tension: By incorporating this minimal rotation, the model predicts a present-day Hubble constant that bridges the gap between the values inferred from early and late-universe measurements. This suggests that a slowly rotating universe could be a viable solution to the Hubble tension .
- Consistency with Observations: The proposed rotation is subtle enough to remain consistent with current observational constraints, such as the isotropy of the cosmic microwave background. This ensures that the model does not conflict with the well-established large-scale uniformity of the universe .
Implications:
This study offers a fresh perspective on the Hubble tension by suggesting that a slight global rotation of the universe, a concept rooted in general relativity, could account for the observed discrepancies in the Hubble constant. If further research and observations support this model, it could prompt a reevaluation of certain assumptions in cosmology and enhance our understanding of the universe’s expansion history.
Further Reading:
- For a detailed exploration of the model and its implications, refer to the full article: Can Rotation Solve the Hubble Puzzle?.
- For a broader context on the Hubble tension and other proposed solutions, consider reading reviews such as “In the realm of the Hubble tension - A review of solutions” by Di Valentino et al.
As the field progresses, it will be essential to test this rotating universe model against a wide array of cosmological observations to assess its validity and potential as a solution to the Hubble tension.
