# De Sitter universe > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/De_Sitter_universe > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/De_Sitter_universe.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Sitter_universe > Source revision: 1351004475 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Cosmological solution to the Einstein field equations of general relativity Part of a series on Physical cosmology Big Bang Universe Age of the universe Chronology of the universe Early universe Inflation Baryogenesis Nucleosynthesis Backgrounds Gravitational wave (GWB) Microwave (CMB) Neutrino (CNB) Expansion & Future Hubble's law Redshift Expansion of the universe FLRW metric Friedmann equations Lambda-CDM model Future of an expanding universe Ultimate fate of the universe Components & Structure Components Dark energy Dark matter Photons Baryons Structure Shape of the universe Galaxy filament Galaxy formation Large quasar group Large-scale structure Reionization Structure formation Experiments Black Hole Initiative (BHI) BOOMERanG Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) Dark Energy Survey Planck space observatory Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey ("2dF") Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Scientists Aaronson Alfvén Alpher Copernicus de Sitter Dicke Ehlers Einstein Ellis Friedmann Galileo Gamow Guth Hawking Hubble Huygens Kepler Lemaître Mather Newton Penrose Penzias Rubin Schmidt Smoot Suntzeff Sunyaev Tolman Wilson Zeldovich List of cosmologists Subject history Discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation History of the Big Bang theory Timeline of cosmological theories Category Astronomy portal v t e A **de Sitter universe** is a [cosmological](/source/Physical_cosmology) solution to the [Einstein field equations](/source/Einstein_field_equations) of [general relativity](/source/General_relativity), named after [Willem de Sitter](/source/Willem_de_Sitter). It models the universe as spatially flat and neglects ordinary matter, so the dynamics of the universe are dominated by the [cosmological constant](/source/Cosmological_constant), thought to correspond to [dark energy](/source/Dark_energy) in our universe or the [inflaton field](/source/Inflaton_field) in the [early universe](/source/Early_universe). According to the models of [inflation](/source/Cosmic_inflation) and current observations of the [accelerating universe](/source/Accelerating_universe), the [concordance models of physical cosmology](/source/Lambda-CDM) are converging on a consistent model where our universe was best described as a de Sitter universe at about a time t {\displaystyle t} = 10−33 s after the [fiducial](/source/Fiducial_marker#Physics) [Big Bang](/source/Big_Bang) [singularity](/source/Gravitational_singularity), and far [into the future](/source/Ultimate_fate_of_the_universe). ## Mathematical expression A de Sitter universe has no ordinary matter content but with a positive [cosmological constant](/source/Cosmological_constant) ( Λ {\displaystyle \Lambda } ) that sets the expansion rate, H {\displaystyle H} . A larger cosmological constant leads to a larger expansion rate: - H ∝ Λ , {\displaystyle H\propto {\sqrt {\Lambda }},} where the constants of proportionality depend on conventions. Evolution of the de Sitter universe (dark blue, top curve) compared to other models. It is common to describe a patch of this solution as an expanding universe of the [FLRW](/source/Friedmann-Robertson-Walker_metric) form where the scale factor is given by[1] - a ( t ) = e H t , {\displaystyle a(t)=e^{Ht},} where the constant H {\displaystyle H} is the Hubble expansion rate and t {\displaystyle t} is time. As in all FLRW spaces, a ( t ) {\displaystyle a(t)} , the [scale factor](/source/Scale_factor_(Universe)), describes the [expansion of physical spatial distances](/source/Metric_expansion_of_space). Unique to universes described by the FLRW metric, a de Sitter universe has a [Hubble Law](/source/Hubble_Law) that is not only consistent through all space, but also through all time (since the [deceleration parameter](/source/Deceleration_parameter) is q = − 1 {\displaystyle q=-1} ), thus satisfying the [perfect cosmological principle](/source/Perfect_cosmological_principle) that assumes [isotropy](/source/Isotropy) and homogeneity throughout space and time. There are ways to cast de Sitter space with static coordinates (see [de Sitter space](/source/De_Sitter_space)), so unlike other FLRW models, de Sitter space can be thought of as a static solution to [Einstein's equations](/source/Einstein's_equations) even though the [geodesics](/source/Geodesic) followed by observers necessarily diverge as expected from the expansion of physical spatial dimensions. As a model for the universe, de Sitter's solution was not considered viable for the [observed universe](/source/Observable_universe) until models for [inflation](/source/Cosmic_inflation) and [dark energy](/source/Dark_energy) were developed. Before then, it was assumed that the [Big Bang](/source/Big_Bang) implied only an acceptance of the weaker [cosmological principle](/source/Cosmological_principle), which holds that isotropy and homogeneity apply spatially but not temporally.[2] ## Relative expansion The exponential expansion of the scale factor means that the physical distance between any two non-accelerating observers will eventually be growing faster than the [speed of light](/source/Speed_of_light). At this point those two observers will no longer be able to make contact. Therefore, any observer in a de Sitter universe would have [cosmological horizons](/source/Cosmological_horizon) beyond which that observer can never see nor learn any information. If our universe is approaching a de Sitter universe then eventually we will not be able to observe any [galaxies](/source/Galaxy) other than our own [Milky Way](/source/Milky_Way) (and any others in the gravitationally bound [Local Group](/source/Local_Group), assuming they were to somehow survive to that time without merging).[3] ## Role in the Benchmark Model The [Benchmark Model](/source/Lambda-CDM_Model) is a model consisting of a universe made of three components – radiation, ordinary matter, and dark energy – that fit current data about the history of the universe. These components make different contributions to the expansion of the universe as time elapses. Specifically, when the universe is radiation dominated, the expansion factor scales as a ∝ t 1 2 {\displaystyle a\propto t^{\frac {1}{2}}} , and when the universe is matter dominated a ∝ t 2 3 {\displaystyle a\propto t^{\frac {2}{3}}} . Since both of these grow slower than the exponential, in the future the scale factor will be dominated by the exponential factor a ∝ e H 0 t {\displaystyle a\propto e^{H_{0}t}} representing the pure de Sitter universe. The point at which this starts to occur is known as the [matter–lambda equivalence point](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matter%E2%80%93lambda_equivalence_point&action=edit&redlink=1) and the modern-day universe is believed to be relatively close to this point.[4] ## See also - [Cosmic inflation](/source/Cosmic_inflation) - [De Sitter space](/source/De_Sitter_space) – for more mathematical properties - [Deceleration parameter](/source/Deceleration_parameter) - [Causal patch](/source/Causal_patch) - [Lambda-CDM model](/source/Lambda-CDM_model) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Adler, Ronald; Bazin, Maurice; [Schiffer, Menahem](/source/Menahem_Max_Schiffer) (1965). [*Introduction to General Relativity*](https://archive.org/details/introductiontoge0000adle). New York: [McGraw-Hill](/source/McGraw-Hill). p. 468. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Dodelson, Scott (2003). *Modern Cosmology* (4 [print] ed.). San Diego, California: [Academic Press](/source/Academic_Press). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-12-219141-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-12-219141-1). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Dolgov, Alexandre D; Bambi, Cosimo (2016). *Introduction to Particle Cosmology*. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. p. 63. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-662-48077-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-662-48077-9). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Ryden, Barbara (2017). *Introduction to Cosmology* (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 144–149. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-107-15483-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-107-15483-4). --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [De Sitter universe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Sitter_universe) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Sitter_universe?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.