6533b856fe1ef96bd12b1d89

RESEARCH PRODUCT

A mysterious Universe : revealing the bright and dark sides of the cosmos

subject

description

Why is our universe as we observe it? Will it be the same forever? Understanding the nature of the main constituents of the universe is crucial to obtain a precise description of the way in which it reached its present state. Nowadays, many independent observations support a picture in which the matter content of the universe is shared between an ordinary and observable baryonic component ( ~ 5?%) and an invisible dark matter ( ~ 23?%). The remaining ~ 72?% of the universe content is in the form of a completely mysterious dark energy field. This composition emphasizes that, while ~ 95?% of our universe represents a major uncertainty for us, even the minor contribution from normal and, apparently, known matter entails important challenges for cosmologists.