Dark matter is an invisible substance believed to have formed in the early universe and plays a crucial role in the evolution of the cosmos. However, no hypothesis has addressed the formation of dark matter in the first stars of the Milky Way.
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(Illustrative image: NASA)
An unconventional process
A popular hypothesis for star formation suggests that hydrogen and helium gas molecules bind together and collapse into clouds. As these gas clouds cool down, they contract and become denser. The process continues until both hydrogen and helium start to ignite and generate energy, like the Sun and other stars.
According to a recent research paper published in the January issue of the journal Physical Review Letters, astrophysicists explored how dark matter influences the temperature and density of the gases that give rise to the first stars.
According to the study’s lead researcher, Paolo Gondolo from the University of Utah, the heating process could neutralize the cooling process. Therefore, a star doesn’t contract and forms a “dark star” approximately 80 to 100 million years after the Big Bang.
The structural differences of “dark stars”
The “dark stars” also contain common elements in the form of hydrogen and helium molecules but are typically larger, about 400 to 200,000 times, and more “fluffy” than other stars.
Gondolo suggests that “dark stars” still exist even though they don’t emit conventional light. Instead, they emit gamma rays, neutrinos, and antimatter such as positrons and antipositrons. These stars cannot be observed with the naked eye, but their radiation carries tremendous heat. Gondolo believes that this discovery will unveil mysteries in the process of star formation and help scientists further understand the nature of dark matter.
According to Space.com.