NEW DELHI: Nasa’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to embark on a groundbreaking quest to detect a new class of primordial black holes, potentially revolutionizing our understanding of the cosmos. These black holes, much lighter than any currently known, could have formed in the early universe’s chaotic beginnings.
William DeRocco, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz, spearheads the study focusing on these elusive black holes.”Detecting a population of Earth-mass primordial black holes would be an incredible step for both astronomy and particle physics because these objects can’t be formed by any known physical process,” DeRocco explained. His findings are detailed in a recent publication in Physical Review D.
Unlike the massive black holes formed by collapsing stars or mergers, these “featherweight” black holes could be as light as Earth and are theorized to have formed during the universe’s rapid expansion phase known as inflation. This period allowed denser regions to collapse into black holes, with some possibly surviving to the present day.
The significance of discovering such black holes extends beyond theoretical physics. “It would affect everything from galaxy formation to the universe’s dark matter content to cosmic history,” noted Kailash Sahu, an astronomer not involved in the study but working at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.
These primordial black holes are challenging to detect as they do not emit light. However, their presence can be inferred through gravitational effects, such as microlensing, where the black hole’s gravity magnifies the light of distant stars. This phenomenon has already hinted at the existence of unseen, Earth-mass objects in our galaxy, which could either be rogue planets or these black holes.
The Roman Space Telescope’s advanced capabilities are expected to detect significantly more of these objects than current ground-based observatories, potentially distinguishing between rogue planets and black holes. “Roman will be extremely powerful in differentiating between the two statistically,” DeRocco added.
This mission will not only search for new planets but could also provide critical insights into the early universe and the nature of dark matter. Whether or not Earth-mass black holes are found, the results will enhance our understanding of the universe, making the Roman mission a pivotal venture in space exploration.
William DeRocco, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz, spearheads the study focusing on these elusive black holes.”Detecting a population of Earth-mass primordial black holes would be an incredible step for both astronomy and particle physics because these objects can’t be formed by any known physical process,” DeRocco explained. His findings are detailed in a recent publication in Physical Review D.
Unlike the massive black holes formed by collapsing stars or mergers, these “featherweight” black holes could be as light as Earth and are theorized to have formed during the universe’s rapid expansion phase known as inflation. This period allowed denser regions to collapse into black holes, with some possibly surviving to the present day.
The significance of discovering such black holes extends beyond theoretical physics. “It would affect everything from galaxy formation to the universe’s dark matter content to cosmic history,” noted Kailash Sahu, an astronomer not involved in the study but working at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.
These primordial black holes are challenging to detect as they do not emit light. However, their presence can be inferred through gravitational effects, such as microlensing, where the black hole’s gravity magnifies the light of distant stars. This phenomenon has already hinted at the existence of unseen, Earth-mass objects in our galaxy, which could either be rogue planets or these black holes.
The Roman Space Telescope’s advanced capabilities are expected to detect significantly more of these objects than current ground-based observatories, potentially distinguishing between rogue planets and black holes. “Roman will be extremely powerful in differentiating between the two statistically,” DeRocco added.
This mission will not only search for new planets but could also provide critical insights into the early universe and the nature of dark matter. Whether or not Earth-mass black holes are found, the results will enhance our understanding of the universe, making the Roman mission a pivotal venture in space exploration.
