The death of the universe, when? – St. Petersburg and the World

Physicists have new evidence to support the view that the universe will die after 22 billion years as a result of the so-called Big Rip.

In the scientific journal Physical Review D published an article which describes the future of the universe. The model, built on a supercomputer, scientists have found that after 22 billion years of the universe will explode. The universe will die as a result of accelerated expansion, which will lead to the disintegration of matter.

It is known that the equation of state of the universe which is in expansion, defined as the ratio of dark energy pressure to its density, expressed in a special system of units of measurement dimensionless parameter «w». This parameter determines the evolution of the universe, if it is less than (1), in this case it is the version of “Big Rip».

In this model, the observer, who turned out in such a ceases to exist the world would notice the decay of matter up to the extent of applicability of the laws of modern elementary particle physics, the scientists say.

Universe – has no strict definition of the concept in astronomy and philosophy. It is divided into two fundamentally different entities: the speculative (philosophical) and material available observations in the present or in the foreseeable future.

If the author distinguishes between these entities, then, following the tradition, the first is called the Universe, and the second – the astronomical universe or Metagalaxy (recently, the term is almost out of use). The universe is the subject of cosmology.