Dark matter – one of the universe's greatest mysteries – may be even stranger than previously thought. According to a new theory, it could be made up of black holes that come from another universe.
Astronomers believe that dark matter makes up about 27% of the mass of the universe and acts as a “gravitational glue” that holds galaxies together. Until now, most scientists thought it was made up of unknown particles that neither reflect nor absorb light.
But a new theory suggests something completely different: dark matter may be composed of very old black holes, created before the Big Bang.
These "relic" black holes would be very small, but massive and completely invisible – detectable only through their gravitational influence.
According to Professor Enrique Gaztanaga from the University of Portsmouth, this makes them a serious candidate to explain dark matter.
A universe before the Big Bang?
At the core of this idea lies a bold concept: there may have been a universe before the one we know today, and the Big Bang was not the beginning of everything, but a transitional phase.
According to traditional theory, the universe began from a point of infinite density, called a "singularity," which then expanded rapidly in a process known as inflation.
But some scientists oppose this idea, because an infinite density conflicts with the known laws of physics.
For this reason, the “bouncing universe” model is proposed. In this scenario, the previous universe contracted until it reached a very dense (but not infinite) point, and then “bounced” by expanding again – creating our universe.
So the Big Bang would be the beginning of expansion, not of time itself.
How does this relate to dark matter?
If this model is correct, then black holes formed in the earlier universe may have survived this "jump."
These objects would continue to exist in our universe and behave like dark matter: they influence through gravity, but they do not emit light.
This theory has a major advantage – it does not require the existence of mysterious new particles and avoids the problem of infinite density singularities.
Connection with recent discoveries
This idea could also help explain some recent discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope.
This telescope has discovered very bright, red objects just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang – much earlier than expected. Scientists think these could be black holes that have grown extremely rapidly.
According to the new theory, if "relic" black holes existed from the beginning, they would have a huge advantage in growing faster than the current model predicts.
Still a theory to be tested
However, this idea still remains hypothetical. Scientists need to test it through gravitational wave data and precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation.
If proven, this theory could solve two of the greatest mysteries of modern science: the nature of dark matter and the origin of the universe.
For now, it remains an intriguing hypothesis that challenges the way we understand the universe. /GazetaExpress/
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