A groundbreaking study from MIT physicists proposes that microscopic primordial black holes could be the key to unraveling the mystery of dark matter, and Mars may hold the clue.
Dark matter from primordial black holes
The result leads researchers to conclude that, in place of the mostly accepted exotic dark matter particle explanation, these objects may be small primordial black holes formed during the beginning of the universe. Those black holes, in contrast to the astrophysical ones that form from collapsed stars, would be no larger than an atom but as massive as the mightiest asteroids.
The researchers suggest that if these primordial black holes represent a substantial fraction of dark matter in the universe, they should be passing through our solar system at an approximate rate of one per decade. If one got within a few hundred million miles of Mars, it would wobble the orbit ever so slightly, but measurably. This wobble is something that current, high-precision instruments in orbit around Mars are capable of detecting which means the tech we have observing Mars today could be our best shot at finding some of these elusive dark matter candidates.
MODELING THE DYNAMICS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
The MIT team set out to investigate, with a computer simulation of the solar system that combined the orbits and gravitational interactions of not only the planets but also many of the largest moons. This in turn enabled them to simulate the consequences of a primordial black hole passing through their planets, with Mars also being given particular attention.
The researchers calculated that, if a primordial black hole zipped by Mars within a few hundred million miles of the planet (relatively close on cosmological scales), it could nudge the planet’s orbit by about one meter over several years. The new outflow pits aren’t gigantic, but they are more than small enough — no stealthy burrowing required — to be detected by the super-sensitive instruments keeping an eye on Mars right now.
Conclusion
If Mars were to wobble in this way in the next few decades, that would show there are a lot of primordial black holes as part of dark matter. Much more is required to eliminate all other things that could be causing this light, but this groundbreaking research gives scientists a great new way to begin exploring the enigmatic dark matter pervading the cosmos.
