Dark matter remains one of the greatest enigmas in the universe. Invisible and nearly undetectable, it is estimated to make up about 85% of all existing matter. Until now, efforts to identify it have focused on large-scale experiments on Earth, such as underground tanks filled with liquid xenon, particle accelerators, and wide-ranging cosmic observations.
Now, researchers at the University of California, Riverside (USA) have proposed a surprising new approach: using giant exoplanets as “natural detectors” of dark matter. To date, nearly six thousand exoplanets have been confirmed by NASA, and these distant worlds may provide valuable clues.
The proposal is based on calculations showing that dark matter, through its gravitational interaction, would have a much greater chance of colliding with a colossal planet than with any Earth-based detector. In addition, many of these exoplanets have extremely low temperatures, which favors the gradual accumulation of particles in their cores.
According to the study, published in Physical Review D, supermassive dark matter particles — millions of times heavier than a proton — could be trapped by the planet’s gravity after losing energy in collisions with atoms inside it. This process could even lead to the formation of mini black holes at their centers, opening new possibilities for understanding the true nature of this mysterious cosmic substance.
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