Exoplanets may help the seek for darkish matter

New analysis means that exoplanets, that are planets orbiting stars exterior our photo voltaic system, may additionally function instruments to research darkish matter.

More than 5,000 planets have been found past our photo voltaic system, permitting scientists to discover planetary evolution and contemplate the potential for extraterrestrial life.

The researchers examined how darkish matter, which makes up 85% of the universe’s matter, would possibly have an effect on Jupiter-sized exoplanets over lengthy intervals of time. Their theoretical calculations recommend darkish matter particles may progressively acquire within the cores of those planets. Although darkish matter has by no means been detected in laboratories, physicists are assured it exists.

“If the dark matter particles are heavy enough and don’t annihilate, they may eventually collapse into a tiny black hole,” says paper first creator Mehrdad Phoroutan-Mehr, a graduate pupil within the astronomy and physics division on the University of California, Riverside who works with Hai-Bo Yu, a professor of physics and astronomy.

“This black hole could then grow and consume the entire planet, turning it into a black hole with the same mass as the original planet. This outcome is only possible under the superheavy non-annihilating dark matter model.”

According to the superheavy non-annihilating darkish matter mannequin, darkish matter particles are extraordinarily large and don’t destroy one another once they work together. The researchers targeted on this mannequin to indicate how superheavy darkish matter particles are captured by exoplanets, lose power, and drift towards their cores. There, they accumulate and collapse into black holes.

“In gaseous exoplanets of various sizes, temperatures, and densities, black holes could form on observable timescales, potentially even generating multiple black holes in a single exoplanet’s lifetime,” Phoroutan-Mehr says.

“These results show how exoplanet surveys could be used to hunt for superheavy dark matter particles, especially in regions hypothesized to be rich in dark matter like our Milky Way’s galactic center.”

Phoroutan-Mehr was joined within the examine by Tara Fetherolf, a postdoctoral researcher within the earth and planetary sciences division.

Phoroutan-Mehr explains that, up to now, astronomers have solely detected black holes with plenty higher than our solar. He says most current theories recommend that black holes have to be a minimum of that large.

“Discovering a black hole with the mass of a planet would be a major breakthrough,” he provides.

“It would support the thesis of our paper and offer an alternative to the commonly accepted theory that planet-sized black holes could only form in the early universe.”

According to Phoroutan-Mehr, exoplanets haven’t been used a lot in darkish matter analysis largely as a result of scientists didn’t have sufficient information about them.

“But in recent years, our knowledge of exoplanets has expanded dramatically, and several upcoming space missions will provide even more detailed observations,” he says.

“With this growing body of data, exoplanets can be used to test and challenge different dark matter models.”

Phoroutan-Mehr says previously scientists investigated darkish matter by observing objects just like the solar, neutron stars, and white dwarfs, since totally different fashions of darkish matter can have an effect on these objects in several methods. For instance, some fashions recommend that darkish matter can warmth up neutron stars.

“So, if we were to observe an old and cold neutron star, it could rule out certain properties of dark matter, since dark matter is theoretically expected to heat them up,” he says.

He provides that many exoplanets (and Jupiter in our photo voltaic system) not having collapsed into black holes will help scientists rule out or refine darkish matter fashions such because the superheavy non-annihilating darkish matter mannequin.

“If astronomers were to discover a population of planet-sized black holes, it could offer strong evidence in favor of the superheavy non-annihilating dark matter model,” Phoroutan-Mehr says.

“As we continue to collect more data and examine individual planets in more detail, exoplanets may offer crucial insights into the nature of dark matter.”

Phoroutan-Mehr notes that one other potential impact of darkish matter on exoplanets—and presumably on planets in our photo voltaic system—is that it may warmth them or trigger them to emit high-energy radiation.

“Today’s instruments aren’t sensitive enough to detect these signals,” he says. “Future telescopes and space missions may be able to pick them up.”

The examine seems in Physical Review D.

Source: UC Riverside