Before atoms formed, just moments after the Big Bang, fascinating events unfolded. A recent study in Physical Review D reveals that during this period, tiny particles may have created halos of matter that collapsed into the universe’s first black holes, boson stars, and cannibal stars. This research, led by scientists at SISSA and other institutions, sheds light on the universe’s early moments.
Experts suggest that there was a brief phase known as the Early Matter-Dominated Era (EMDE). During this time, matter might have temporarily dominated, allowing for the formation of halos. This phenomenon is quite remarkable and could lead to the birth of compact cosmic structures. The study argues that even in the universe’s infancy, there was already a rich tapestry of physical events taking place.
What Happened After Inflation?
Cosmology has made strides in understanding the universe’s history, from the initial rapid expansion (inflation) to the formation of the first atomic nuclei. However, the time between these events remains largely unexplored. Researchers hypothesize that during this mysterious phase, matter could have formed halos, eventually leading to stellar phenomena.
According to the researchers, if particles interacted during this period, they could collapse into exotic objects like black holes. These interactions might have been the catalysts for unusual stellar formations, adding complexity to our understanding of the universe’s early days.
Unusual Cosmic Structures
Among the intriguing objects theorized to have emerged are cannibal stars. Unlike regular stars powered by nuclear fusion, cannibal stars draw energy from particle self-annihilation. Boson stars might have formed as well; these stars derive their support from the quantum properties of particles, existing for mere moments before potentially collapsing into primordial black holes.
The study suggests that during the EMDE, these halos were small and could produce black holes that vary in size. Some primordial black holes (PBHs) might have been small enough to be hidden in our current universe, potentially accounting for a portion of the dark matter we detect today. In fact, researchers estimate that some could evaporate almost immediately, before light atoms even formed.
New Perspectives on Cosmic Evolution
The findings from this study open up fascinating avenues for exploration. As the authors suggest, examining the creation of cannibal and boson stars in today’s universe could deepen our understanding of dark matter and cosmic structures. With the right models, researchers could uncover more about the processes that shape our universe today.
To learn more about this groundbreaking study, you can check out the publication here.
By continuing to study these phenomena, we can better comprehend the complex interactions that occurred in the early universe and their implications for what lies beyond our current understanding of astrophysics.
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