The Big Rip

In the Big Rip model of cosmology, "phantom energy," a particular kind of dark energy supposedly fueling the accelerating expansion of the universe, will, in the course of time, undo all the bound states prevalent in nature. In this way galaxies would lose their constituent stars. Later solar systems would fly apart. Later still even atoms would break apart since electrons would no longer be held by their associated nuclei.

Reported by: Caldwell et al., Physical Review Letters, 15 August 2003

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