The energy driving accelerated expansion might originate from vacuum energy left over after inflation. It acts as a repulsive force on cosmic scales. While mysterious, it constitutes ~70% of the universe today. Understanding dark energy links early-universe physics to modern cosmology. Observing supernovae and galaxy clustering tests its behavior. The connection between Big Bang conditions and dark energy is a frontier of research.
It matters because dark energy shapes the universe’s fate.
It also drives new physics connecting cosmology, quantum mechanics, and relativity.
Dark energy dominates the universe, possibly from Big Bang remnants.
European Space Agency [esa.int]