Very sensitive gravitational-wave detectors on Earth, like the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors, have actually effectively observed lots of gravitational-wave signals, and theyve likewise been utilized to search for dark matter: a hypothetical type of matter believed to account for approximately 85% of all matter in the Universe. Dark matter might be made up of particles that do not absorb, show, or give off light, so they can not be discovered by observing electro-magnetic radiation. Dark matter is product that can not be seen straight, but we know that dark matter exists because of the impact it has on objects that we can observe directly.
Scientists think that if there are certain ultralight boson particles near a rapidly spinning black hole, the severe gravity field causes the particles to be caught around the black hole, developing a cloud around the black hole.
Dr. Lilli Sun is on the hunt for boson clouds– a crucial contender for dark matter. Credit: Tracey Nearmy/ANU
The detection of gravitational waves supplies a brand-new approach to discovering these incredibly light boson particles using gravity. Researchers think that if there are certain ultralight boson particles near a rapidly spinning black hole, the severe gravity field triggers the particles to be caught around the black hole, producing a cloud around the black hole.
In a recent international study in the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA cooperation, with OzGrav Associate Investigator Dr. Lilli Sun from the Australian National University being among the leading scientists, a team of scientists brought out the very first all-sky search customized for these predicted gravitational wave signals from boson clouds around rapidly spinning black holes..
” Gravitational-wave science opened an entirely brand-new window to study basic physics. It offers not just direct info about strange compact things in deep space, like black holes and neutron stars, but also enables us to search for brand-new particles and dark matter,” states Dr. Sun.
A signal was not discovered, the group of scientists was able to draw valuable conclusions about the possible presence of these clouds in our Galaxy. In the analysis, they likewise thought about that the strength of a gravitational wave signal depends on the age of the boson cloud: the boson cloud diminishes as it loses energy by sending out gravitational waves, so the strength of the gravitational wave signal would reduce as the cloud ages..
” We found out that a specific type of boson clouds younger than 1000 years is not most likely to exist throughout our Galaxy, while such clouds that depend on 10 million years old are not most likely to exist within about 3260 light-years from Earth,” says Dr. Sun.” Future gravitational wave detectors will certainly open more possibilities. We will be able to reach deeper into deep space and find more insights about these particles.”.
For more on this research study see Ghostly Boson Clouds Could Solve the Mystery of Dark Matter.
Referral: “All-sky search for gravitational wave emission from scalar boson clouds around spinning great voids in LIGO O3 information” by The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, the KAGRA Collaboration: R. Abbott, H. Abe, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, N. Adhikari, R. X. Adhikari, V. K. Adkins, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, D. Agarwal, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, T. Akutsu, S. Albanesi, R. A. Alfaidi, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, C. Anand, S. Anand, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, M. Ando, T. Andrade, N. Andres, M. Andrés-Carcasona, T. Andrić, S. V. Angelova, S. Ansoldi, J. M. Antelis, S. Antier, T. Apostolatos, E. Z. Appavuravther, S. Appert, S. K. Apple, K. Arai, A. Araya, M. C. Araya, J. S. Areeda, M. Arène, N. Aritomi, N. Arnaud, M. Arogeti, S. M. Aronson, K. G. Arun, H. Asada, Y. Asali, G. Ashton, Y. Aso, M. Assiduo, S. Assis de Souza Melo, S. M. Aston, P. Astone, F. Aubin, K. AultONeal, C. Austin, S. Babak, F. Badaracco, M. K. M. Bader, C. Badger, S. Bae, Y. Bae, A. M. Baer, S. Bagnasco, Y. Bai, J. Baird, R. Bajpai, T. Baka, M. Ball, G. Ballardin, S. W. Ballmer, A. Balsamo, G. Baltus, S. Banagiri, B. Banerjee, D. Bankar, J. C. Barayoga, C. Barbieri, B. C. Barish, D. Barker, P. Barneo, F. Barone, B. Barr, L. Barsotti, M. Barsuglia, D. Barta, J. Bartlett, M. A. Barton, I. Bartos, S. Basak, R. Bassiri et al., 30 November 2021, Astrophysics > > High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena.arXiv:2111.15507.
Gravitational waves are cosmic ripples in the material of space and time that originate from catastrophic events in space, like collisions of black holes and neutron stars– the collapsed cores of huge supergiant stars. Exceptionally sensitive gravitational-wave detectors on Earth, like the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors, have successfully observed lots of gravitational-wave signals, and theyve also been utilized to search for dark matter: a theoretical type of matter believed to account for roughly 85% of all matter in the Universe. Dark matter might be composed of particles that do not soak up, show, or emit light, so they can not be discovered by observing electro-magnetic radiation. Dark matter is product that can not be seen directly, however we understand that dark matter exists because of the effect it has on things that we can observe directly.
Ultralight boson particles are a new kind of subatomic particle that researchers have put forward as compelling dark matter candidates. These ultralight particles are difficult to detect since they have incredibly small mass and rarely interact with other matter– which is one of the crucial homes that dark matter seems to have.
