2024-04-12 04:00:14
Neutron stars could be the key to understanding dark matter.
Physicists from the ARC Center of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics, led by the University of Melbourne, have made a significant breakthrough in the quest to understand dark matter, the mysterious element that makes up 85% of the matter of our Universe. In an article published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physicsthey explain that neutron stars, these dense remnants of collapsed massive stars, could play a crucial role in detecting dark matter.
Contrary to previous expectations, research shows that collision and annihilation of dark matter particles inside neutron stars can rapidly transferenergy to the latter, warming them in a few days only. This phenomenon contradicts the previous idea that the transfer of energy could take forever, sometimes even longer than the age of the Universe itself. These stars are extremely dense, so much so that dark matter, which interacts weakly with ordinary matter, is more likely to accumulate there. Researchers believe this could lead to enough accumulation to significantly warm a star cold and old neutron, making it detectable by instruments futureor even cause its collapse in black hole.
Dark matter is difficult to study directly because it does not interact with light. Our telescopes cannot see it directly. Its existence is deduced from its gravitational influence on visible objects in the Universe. Dark matter detectors on Terre face major technical challenges, making neutron stars potentially very useful natural detectors.
This research was led by an international team of experts, including Nicole Bell and Michael Virgato of theUniversity of MelbourneGiorgio Busoni of theAustralian National Universityand Sandra Robles of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in the United States.
1712971876
#Neutron #stars #vacuum #cleaners #dark #matter