Primordial black holes, formed shortly after the Big Bang, may pass through our solar system every decade, according to recent research. These black holes, much smaller and lighter than typical ones, could cause minor gravitational disruptions that scientists could detect. Researchers suggest that tracking these disruptions may help understand dark matter, an elusive substance believed to make up most of the universe’s mass. While dark matter remains a mystery, some scientists propose that primordial black holes may account for a significant part of it.
What Are Primordial Black Holes?
Primordial black holes are thought to be as small as a hydrogen atom and much lighter than our Sun. Sarah Geller, a theoretical physicist at the University of California at Santa Cruz, explained that these black holes might have formed due to density fluctuations in the early universe. Although these black holes are incredibly small, their gravitational pull is still significant. Unlike stellar-mass black holes, they do not emit detectable light, making them harder to find.
Potential Gravitational Disruptions in the Solar System
The research suggests that these black holes could pass near planets like Earth, Mars, and Venus once every decade. Benjamin Lehmann, a theoretical physicist at MIT, noted that these flybys might cause slight disturbances in the orbits of objects in the solar system, which could be measurable with current technology.
However, Lehmann cautioned that more precise simulations and models are needed to confirm any findings in the journal Physical Review D.
Future Research on Primordial Black Holes
The researchers are in discussions with experts at the Paris Observatory to analyse real orbital data from the inner planets. By doing so, they hope to detect any possible disruptions caused by these black holes and distinguish them from other objects in space. This study opens up the possibility of using gravitational effects to locate primordial black holes and explore the nature of dark matter.