Dark Energy and the Structure of the Coma Cluster: Key Findings from Intercontinental Research

February 21, 2025

The intercontinental research study titled "Dark Energy and the Structure of the Coma Cluster of Galaxies," observed and authored by A. D. Chernin et al present ground breaking conclusions on the role of dark energy in cosmic structures. The key findings are as follows:

1. Significant Antigravity Influence at Large Radii

   • Dark energy’s antigravity effect strongly influences the structure of the Coma cluster at large radii (R ≳ 14 Mpc).
   • This effect must be considered when deriving the cluster's total mass.

2. Dark Energy as the Driver of Cosmic Acceleration

   • The background dark energy produces an antigravity effect stronger than matter’s gravitational pull on a universal scale.
   • This leads to the accelerated cosmic expansion, as discovered by Riess et al. (1998) and Perlmutter et al. (1999).

3. Local Antigravity Effects on Megaparsec Scales

   • Antigravity can exceed gravitational attraction not just globally but also locally on scales of ~1–10 Mpc.
   • This has been demonstrated through studies (Chernin et al. 2000, 2006; Chernin 2001; Byrd et al. 2007, 2012) and confirmed using HST observations by Karachentsev’s team (e.g., Chernin et al. 2010, 2012a).

4. Negative Effective Gravitating Density and Einstein’s Law of Universal Antigravity

   • The effective gravitating density is negative, producing antigravity.
   • According to Einstein’s law, a mass M in uniform dark energy generates an acceleration a(r), which includes both the Newtonian attraction term aN(r) = −GM/r² and the antigravity effect of dark energy.

5. Gravitational Boundaries and Zero-Gravity Sphere

   • Gravity dominates at distances R < RZG, whereas antigravity prevails at R > RZG.
   • A gravitationally bound system with mass Mᴍ can only exist within its zero-gravity sphere, defined by radius RZG.

6. Dark Energy’s Negligible Effect at Small Radii

   • At small radii (R ≪ 14 Mpc), dark energy effects are minimal (|MDE| ≪ Mᴍ), and the gravitating mass Mᴳ is practically equal to the matter mass Mᴍ.
   • At larger radii (R ≥ 14 Mpc), antigravity effects become dominant (|MDE| ≥ Mᴳ), significantly altering the cluster's dynamics.

These findings emphasize the profound role of dark energy in shaping cosmic structures and redefining our understanding of gravitationally bound systems on both local and universal scales.