In a recent study, scientists have explored the possibility of a peculiar form of dark matter known as “parasite black holes” residing within stars and gradually consuming them from the inside. Led by astrophysicist Earl Bellinger from the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics and Yale University, the study suggests that these minuscule black holes, formed in the early universe, might have been integrated into stars like the Sun and persist at their cores, slowly absorbing matter and generating additional black holes.
The research delves into the impact of such parasitic black holes on stars and investigates potential indicators that could help identify them in the universe. The scientists emphasize that these objects can have extended lifespans, with lighter black holes exerting minimal influence on stellar evolution, while more massive ones gradually consume the star, leading to observable consequences.
The study also explores the unique internal structures of stars hosting black holes, suggesting that asteroseismology—a technique studying stellar oscillations—could be instrumental in detecting them if they exist. According to the researchers, the internal dynamics of stars containing black holes might reveal distinctive patterns that could be observed through asteroseismology.
The existence of tiny black holes, with masses similar to planets, moons, or asteroids, remains a subject of exploration. While the universe hosts black holes of varying sizes, including stellar-mass black holes and supermassive black holes at the cores of galaxies, the quest for these smaller black holes, with masses comparable to celestial bodies, continues. The gravitational collapse required to form a black hole is challenging to achieve in objects with insufficient mass, raising questions about the existence and characteristics of such tiny black holes.
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