dark energy

Coined by American cosmologist Michael Turner in 1998, in reference to the earlier term dark matter.

dark energy (uncountable)

1. (astronomy, astrophysics) A hypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space (and time) and has anti-gravitational properties: it represents a possible mechanism for the cosmological constant, and thus is one of the possible explanations for the current accelerating rate of expansion of the universe; and it is estimated to account for about 74% of the mass-energy of the universe.
   • 2011 May 20, “After study of 240,000 galaxies, dark energy comes to light”, in The Australian:

     Even Albert Einstein, who first proposed it as the Cosmological Constant in his 1916 General Theory of Relativity, doubted dark energy existed. He called it his "greatest blunder". Now, after a five-year survey of nearly 240,000 galaxies reflecting eight billion years of cosmic history, a team of astrophysicists has shown the elusive force exists. The data were obtained using the Anglo-Australian Telescope, and 26 scientists contributed to the so-called WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey.

• dark matter
• dark sector
• dark light

• baryonic matter
• cosmological constant
• dark matter