Dark Matter May Have a Unique Periodic Table of Invisible Elements

Many scientists have devised different model structures of the early universe in an attempt to explain dark matter, the mysterious form that makes up most of the total mass of the universe but does not emit, absorb or reflect light. Although many have identified this undetectable form in the rotation rates of stars in galaxies, no one knows exactly what it is.

Previous work assumed dark matter was simple: a single type of extremely light particle that fills the universe and barely interacts with normal matter. However, intensive searches for such new particles have yielded no results. In other words, there is still a lack of theoretical models.

Now, a new study, not yet peer-reviewed, conducted by an international team of cosmologists, Proposes a new model of dark matter called “Recycling”. The solution proposed by the authors to explain the formation of massive dark matter particles shortly after the Big Bang is simple: populating the cosmos with primordial black holes (PBHs).

How does dark matter emerge in the new model?

During the Universe’s cosmic phase transition, dark matter particles may have been temporarily trapped in a higher energy state (called a “pseudovacuum” by astronomers), according to the new study.

At some point these “pockets” collapsed The first black holes (PBHs) formed after the Big Bang. From here, these theoretical objects can evaporate through the phenomenon known as “Hawking radiation” to regenerate particles from the dark sector during the formation period of the nuclei of light elements such as hydrogen and helium, before the Big Bang nucleosynthesis.

“This mechanism is particularly suitable for the production of ultraheavy dark matter (UHDM) with masses greater than about 10 m2.¹² gram,” explains the study. In practice, this weight is not more than one gram, But that’s quite a lot for an undetectable material.

How does the new model handle apparent dark matter in the Universe?

To explain the limited amount of massive dark matter, the authors note that the early Universe underwent drastic phase transitions as the forces of nature separated until only gravitational, electromagnetic, and strong and weak nuclear forces remained.

In this model, Lighter dark matter was common in early times but became heavier in later periods.until it precipitates and forms PBHs. But as black holes evaporated, dark matter returned, albeit in limited amounts.

Conclusions from dark matter recycling theory

The evaporation model brings as its main consequence a wide variety of particle types, just as our common matter consists of the famous periodic table of elements. This is because although they share many features (such as almost complete invisibility), Dark matter particles have different masses, speeds and shapes.

However, empirical evidence to prove these hypotheses is still far away because so far everything is just hypothetical concepts. In this sense, direct access to this important turning point in the Universe will only be possible with the direct detection of a dark particle through the observation of gravitational waves from the Big Bang.

This would represent a new era in the study of interactions between different types of hypothesized dark matter, which would form a complex network of physics moving invisibly throughout the Universe.

Get up-to-date information about physics and astronomy at TecMundo. If you wish, take the opportunity to learn a little more about the galaxy where dark matter does not exist, which is contrary to the standard model of cosmology.