In a celestial clash reminiscent of David versus Goliath, the Euclid telescope, developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) at a cost of roughly $1 billion, appears poised to rival NASA’s $10 billion James Webb Telescope (JWST). But its significance goes beyond cost, as the Euclid telescope holds the potential to create the most extensive and accurate 3D map of the Universe, thanks to its observation of countless galaxies.
Amid this competition, Mr. Subhajit Waugh, a physicist from the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), has voiced a compelling proposition: the Euclid telescope could serve a grander purpose than its original intention. He urges the European scientific community to seize the opportunity to demystify the Universe’s shape and dimensions using Euclid’s forthcoming data. If successful, this endeavor could bridge the gap between two conflicting pillars of physics, culminating in a comprehensive “theory of everything.” While Euclid was primarily designed for probing Dark Matter and Dark Energy, Mr. Waugh suggests it might harbor the potential to uncover their enigmatic origins.
Drawing from historical parallels, Mr. Waugh invokes the spirit of the “Scientific Revolution” that emanated from Europe during the Renaissance era. He envisions a resurgence of Europe’s scientific leadership, catalyzing a new era of discovery during the impending scientific paradigm shift.
The landscape of contemporary physics is characterized by a clash between monumental theories, while the well-entrenched “Standard Model of Cosmology (SMC)” faces mounting challenges. Indications of an imminent scientific upheaval are becoming unmistakable, setting the stage for an imminent paradigm shift.
Mr. Waugh delineates three pivotal steps requisite for toppling established scientific theories: replicating successes, addressing limitations, and making novel testable predictions. He asserts that his proposed model successfully meets these criteria.
Predictions Subject to Test:
A) Curvature of the Universe: A groundbreaking prediction contests the conventional notion of a three-dimensionally flat universe. Mr. Waugh’s model proposes a positively curved universe. By leveraging the Euclid telescope’s potential to survey galaxies up to 10 billion light years away, this hypothesis can be validated or refuted by scrutinizing galaxy distribution within spherical bands. Deviations from the projected flat model predictions could revolutionize our comprehension of the universe’s fundamental geometry.
B) Origin of Cosmic Expansion: Another radical prediction challenges the conventional understanding of the universe’s expansion. In contrast to prevailing views, Mr. Waugh’s model posits that Normal Baryonic Matter (NBM) drives cosmic expansion. His conceptual framework envisions galaxies as dots on an expanding balloon, with NBM’s tendency to move away from the universe’s true center serving as the driving force. This notion introduces a potential linkage between Dark Energy, Dark Matter, and NBM, unsettling established paradigms.
In summary, the Euclid telescope emerges as a pivotal instrument capable of validating Mr. Subhajit Waugh’s revolutionary model. Should his predictions bear fruit, this theory could eclipse the pillars of General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, concurrently reshaping the Standard Model of Cosmology. The revelation of a positively curved universe could ignite a scientific upheaval, necessitating a profound reevaluation of our comprehension of the universe’s structure and dynamics. Beyond its initial astronomical role, the Euclid telescope might indeed catalyze a new age of cosmic enlightenment
