Unseen in the vastness of space, black holes as small as a hydrogen atom could be silently drifting through our solar system. However, their days of remaining undetected may soon come to an end.
If proven to exist, these primordial black holes with such minuscule mass could potentially provide an explanation for the mysterious dark matter that dominates the universe (SN: 8/7/16). This invisible force of mass exerts gravitational pull on galaxies and surpasses normal matter by a ratio of 6 to 1. Despite extensive searches for subatomic particles as potential dark matter candidates yielding no results, attention is now turning towards these primordial black holes (SN: 8/26/24).
Unlike conventional black holes that form from collapsing stars and possess masses several times that of the sun, some scientists speculate that smaller black holes may have originated in the early universe due to quantum fluctuations causing localized collapses in space.
A recent study published in Physical Review D reveals that when one of these primordial black holes passes near a planet, its minute size can still have significant effects. Cosmologist Sarah Geller, a National Science Foundation fellow at the University of California, Santa Cruz explains how “the immense gravitational force exerted by this primordial black hole could cause Mars to wobble in its orbit around the sun.” Geller and her team plan to collaborate with experts skilled in simulating detailed solar system data to further investigate these orbital disturbances.
2024-09-17 10:00:29
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