An exciting discovery was made in 2023 when scientists detected an incredibly energetic neutrino, possibly from an exploding primordial black hole formed during the Big Bang. This could support the idea that primordial black holes exist, helping us understand dark matter, one of the universe’s biggest mysteries.
This neutrino had energy 100,000 times greater than anything produced by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Scientists are puzzled by its origin since nothing in nature seems powerful enough to create such energy.
Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst theorize that this high-energy particle could result from an explosion of a “quasi-extremal primordial black hole.” Black holes leak Hawking radiation, proposed by physicist Stephen Hawking in 1974, leading to their eventual explosion. Small black holes can emit this radiation at a faster rate compared to larger ones. This could mean smaller primordial black holes explode much earlier, releasing detectable energy.
Andrea Thamm from the research team noted, “The lighter a black hole is, the hotter it should be and the more particles it will emit.” Their theory suggests these primordial black holes could explode approximately once every decade, but so far, none have been detected.
Interestingly, the detection of the neutrino came from the KM3NeT observatory, while another popular detector, IceCube, located at the South Pole, didn’t pick it up. IceCube is designed for high-energy neutrinos, raising questions about why it hasn’t detected any high-energy neutrinos that likely should exist.
The team has a theory to explain this: they posit the existence of primordial black holes with a “dark charge.” This concept introduces a new particle, called a “dark electron,” that could interact in ways we don’t yet fully understand. Joaquim Iguaz Juan commented, “Our dark-charge model is complex, which may provide a more accurate picture of reality.”
This research not only sheds light on primordial black holes but could also explain dark matter, a substance that makes up about 27% of the universe yet remains invisible and undetectable through conventional means. If these primordial black holes are confirmed, they might account for much of the missing dark matter in the universe.
The study is due to be published in Physical Review Letters. As we delve deeper into these cosmic mysteries, exciting possibilities may emerge, reshaping our understanding of the universe.
