A study close to deciphering the mystery of the "fifth force" that reveals the secrets of the universe

 Scientists hope to reveal a "fifth force" that may exist outside the models of physical laws in the universe by tracking and studying the details of the precise movements of asteroids within the solar system.

The Fifth Force and the Mysteries of the Universe

According to a new study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Stellar Particle Physics, this new approach can reveal, through the movement of these asteroids, very subtle and subtle particles that may shed light and explain some of the biggest mysteries of the universe. Like what dark matter and dark energy are in the universe.

Scientists have long believed in the validity of a theory indicating the existence of the "fifth force" outside what is known as the familiar physical forces that explain the nature of the movement of astronomical bodies, which are well-established traditional forces that explain the movement of objects and the effect of their forces in the universe.

And the "fifth force" - if discovered - adds a new force to our reality, which is traditionally governed by four basic forces, namely:

• gravitational forces.
• Electromagnetic forces.
• strong nuclear forces.
• Weak nuclear forces.

The study team, headed by physicist Yu Dai Tsai, from the University of California, proposes a revolutionary way to search for a possible hidden fifth force in the universe by studying the movement of asteroids, which in turn can affect celestial bodies from very long distances.

Study Approach

Through the principle of "proof of concept", Cai and colleagues define a new approach "to study the possibility of exploring the fifth force using astronomical asteroid motion data", emphasizing the importance of observing the movement of asteroids and studying and analyzing the data.

"This fifth force is very interesting," Tsai said. "There are several motives for searching for this force because it may be related to the explanation of many phenomena in fundamental physics."

The idea of ​​believing in the existence of a fifth power comes from the inability to explain the mysterious phenomena observed in the universe. For example, the existence of dark matter, or dark energy, that is responsible for the expansion of the universe, which scientists have not yet been able to determine. And the fifth force could help learn about the nature of dark energy and dark matter - assuming they can be detected. But it is possible, according to the hypothesis, that the accelerating expansion of the universe involves an undiscovered force, not just dark energy but the presence of the fifth force.

In a separate study published last year, Tsai proposed sending a space mission that might be able to detect very fine dark matter particles that may be associated with the solar star and thus identify through them the existence of this fifth force, which affects objects and their movement in our solar system.

It is noteworthy that several researches preceded this study in monitoring changes in the movement of planets, moons and celestial bodies in their orbits in the universe. But Tsai and his colleagues are the first to propose the idea of ​​studying the movement of near-Earth asteroids to prove the existence of this fifth force.

This new approach was partly inspired by the huge amount of accurate data on the movement of asteroids in the solar system that were meant to protect Earth from their catastrophic impacts on the planet.

"We all know very well that these asteroids can be dangerous to us," Tsai explained. "Some of those asteroids are close to Earth, which could threaten our planet and collide with it, so they are tracked very accurately."

NASA and space maneuvers

Using optical and radar observations, scientists have been able to track the movements of thousands of asteroids with such a high degree of accuracy that their paths can now be predicted for the next 100 years, or more. In addition, a number of space missions have been sent to visit asteroids and monitor them closely, such as NASA's Lucy mission.

• NASA's OSIRIS-REx is the latest spacecraft to collect samples from the surface of an asteroid, which it will deliver to Earth later this year.
• NASA's DART spacecraft collided with an asteroid in 2022, a maneuver that allegedly changed the target space rock's orbit.
• All these efforts have revolutionized the understanding of the properties and motions of asteroids, making it possible to explain changes in their motion caused by various forces, such as the forces of solar radiation or the gravitational pull of each other. By studying this high-resolution data, the mysterious forces acting on these asteroids can be isolated, including the fifth force - if it exists.