Could neutron stars hold the key to unlocking the secrets of dark matter? A new study suggests this possibility, showing how collisions with dark matter could rapidly heat these dense stars, thereby opening a new avenue for detecting this elusive substance.
An illustration shows a neutron star "sliding" to release a burst of radio wave radiation.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith (USRA)
In a recent publication in
The Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, researchers demonstrated that the energy transferred during collisions of dark matter within neutron stars could heat them very quickly. This discovery challenges the idea that this process would take longer than the age of the Universe.
Led by Professor Nicole Bell from the University of Melbourne, physicists calculated that this energy would be deposited in just a few days, making this phenomenon potentially observable with future technologies.
The Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics published these findings, showing how neutron stars could act as natural detectors of dark matter. These stars, formed after supernova collapses, are extremely dense, increasing the chances of interaction with dark matter.
Michael Virgato, a PhD student at the University of Melbourne, explains that these stars could heat cold and old stars to a level detectable by future observation instruments, or even cause their collapse into black holes.
This research could transform our understanding of dark matter, a major but invisible component of our Universe. Scientists believe that observing neutron stars would provide valuable information on the interactions between dark matter and ordinary matter.
Professor Bell highlights the importance of this discovery for modern physics, indicating that dark matter, although dominant, remains difficult to detect due to its very weak interactions with ordinary matter. Neutron stars, by accumulating dark matter over astronomical timescales, offer a unique opportunity to study this phenomenon.