Black holes result from the collapse of massive stars after they exhaust their fuel, creating regions of spacetime where not even light can escape. However, new research suggests that the chaos of the early universe might have generated black holes much smaller than those commonly known, referred to as primordial black holes (PBHs). These tiny yet extremely dense objects could not only help explain the mystery of dark matter but, according to researchers, may have left detectable traces here on Earth.

It is estimated that dark matter constitutes 85% of the universe’s mass, although it remains invisible and undetectable by conventional means. A fascinating theory suggests that PBHs, formed in the first moments after the Big Bang, could be this elusive dark matter. Despite decades of research, none of these objects has ever been observed.

A study led by the University at Buffalo and collaborators proposes innovative strategies to detect these black holes, ranging from evidence in hollow planetoids in space to microscopic tunnels in terrestrial materials. The hypothesis posits that a PBH trapped inside a planet, moon, or asteroid with a liquid core could consume that core, leaving behind a hollow structure. Alternatively, a PBH passing through a solid material could leave an observable tunnel under a microscope.

If a PBH becomes trapped in a celestial body with a liquid core, such as a planet, it may absorb the core, which is denser than the outer solid shell. This could result in a hollow planetoid. However, according to the researchers’ calculations, such structures could not exceed one-tenth the radius of Earth without collapsing under their own weight. This limitation suggests that these objects would be more common in asteroids or small moons than in entire planets.

Black holes earth
Dejan Stojkovic says we should search through old solid materials for signatures of primordial black holes. Credit: Douglas Levere / University at Buffalo

Detecting these hollow bodies could be achieved by analyzing their density and mass through orbital observations. If the calculated density is unusually low for the object’s size, it could indicate the existence of a hollow core.

PBHs could also have left marks in terrestrial materials. For instance, if a PBH passes through a rock or metal, its incredible density could pierce a tiny but detectable tunnel. According to the study, a PBH with a mass of 1022 grams would leave a tunnel only 0.1 microns wide.

Although the probability of a PBH passing through an Earth rock over a billion years is extremely low —on the order of 0.000001—, scientists consider that searching ancient materials, such as billion-year-old rocks or historical buildings, is a low-cost endeavor with immense discovery potential.

As impressive as it sounds, a PBH passing through human tissue would not cause significant harm. Their high speed and low interaction with conventional matter mean that, instead of tearing tissue, they would simply pass through unnoticed.

The study emphasizes the need for novel theoretical approaches to address unresolved problems in modern physics, including dark matter. Current concepts like general relativity and quantum mechanics, while revolutionary in their time, are already a century old. According to co-author Dejan Stojkovic, the smartest people on the planet have been working on these problems for 80 years and still haven’t solved them. We don’t need a direct extension of existing models. We probably need an entirely new framework.

SOURCES

University at Buffalo

De-Chang Dai, Dejan Stojkovic, Searching for small primordial black holes in planets, asteroids and here on Earth. Physics of the Dark Universe, Volume 46, December 2024, 101662. doi.org/10.1016/j.dark.2024.101662

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