2024-06-18 11:00:06
Could neutron stars hold the key to unlocking the secrets of dark matter? A new study hints at this possibility, showing how collisions with dark matter could rapidly heat these dense stars, opening a new avenue for detecting this elusive substance.
Crédit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith (USRA)
In a recent publication in The Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physicsresearchers have demonstrated that theenergy transferred during collisions of dark matter inside neutron stars could heat them very quickly. This discovery challenges the idea that this process would take longer than the age of theUniverse.
Led by Professor Nicole Bell of the University of Melbourne, the physicists calculated that this energy would be deposited in just a few days, making the phenomenon potentially observable with future technologies.
Le Journal de Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics published these results which show how neutron stars could act as natural detectors of matter black. These stars, formed after the collapse of supernovae, are extremely dense, increasing the chances ofinteraction with dark matter.
Michael Virgato, a PhD student at the University of Melbourne, says these could heat old, cool stars to a level that can be detected by futurs instruments d’observationor even cause them to collapse into black holes.
This research could transform our understanding of dark matter, a major but invisible component of our universe. Scientists believe that observing neutron stars could provide valuable insights into the interactions between dark matter and ordinary matter.
Professor Bell emphasizes the importance of this discovery for modern physics, noting that dark matter, although dominant, remains difficult to detect due to its very weak interactions with ordinary matter. Neutron stars, by accumulating dark matter on astronomical timescales, offer a unique opportunity to study this phenomenon.
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