Gravitational wave detectors could unlock dark matter mystery

WASHINGTON: The identical tools used in the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of gravitational waves caused by way of colliding black holes may assist unlock the secrets and techniques of dark subject, scientists say.

Dark subject is a mysterious and as-yet-unobserved component of the universe. Its nature stays unknown, but scientists estimate that it is 5 occasions as ample as peculiar subject all over the universe.

"The nature of dark matter is one the greatest mysteries in physics," stated Emanuele Berti, associate professor at University of Mississippi (UM) in america.

"It is remarkable that we can now do particle physics - investigate the "very small" - by looking at gravitational- wave emission from black holes, the largest and simplest objects in the universe," Berti stated.

The analysis, published in the magazine Physical Review Letters, main points calculations by way of a global crew of scientists which show that gravitational-wave interferometers can be utilized to not directly hit upon the presence of dark subject.

Calculations show that positive varieties of dark subject may shape massive clouds around astrophysical black holes, stated researchers, including UM graduate pupil Shrobana Ghosh.

If ultralight scalar particles exist in nature, fast- spinning black holes would cause the expansion of such scalar "condensates" on the expense in their rotational power.

This will produce a cloud that rotates around the black hollow, now more slowly-spinning, and emits gravitational waves, lovely just like a giant lighthouse in the sky, they stated.

"One possibility is that dark matter consists of scalar fields similar to the Higgs boson, but much lighter than neutrinos," stated Paolo Pani, scientist at UM.

"This type of dark matter is hard to study in particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, but it may be accessible to gravitational-wave detectors," Pani stated.


The crew studied gravitational waves emitted by way of the "black hole plus cloud" gadget.


Depending at the mass of the hypothetical particles, the signal is strong enough to be detected by way of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory in america, and its European counterpart Virgo, as well as by way of the long run area venture Laser Interferometer Space Antenna.


"Surprisingly, gravitational waves from sources that are too weak to be individually detectable can produce a strong stochastic background," stated Richard Brito, who led the learn about.


"This work suggests that a careful analysis of the background in LIGO data may rule out - or detect - ultralight dark matter by gravitational-wave interferometers," Brito stated.
Gravitational wave detectors could unlock dark matter mystery Gravitational wave detectors could unlock dark matter mystery Reviewed by Kailash on October 23, 2017 Rating: 5
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