Dark matter is a mysterious substance that continues to elude direct detection by astronomers despite decades of searching. Scientists are confident that dark matter exerts a significant influence on ordinary matter in the universe, including stars and galaxies, through additional gravitational effects that can even result in the fragmentation of galaxies.
Recent studies propose that dark matter may play a role in the formation of stars that subsequently explode. Of particular interest are axions, particles suggested in the 1970s as potential dark matter candidates. Axions have the unique ability to coalesce into “dark stars” that eventually become unstable and explode, releasing energy comparable to that of supernova explosions.
The researchers suggest that the explosions of these “dark stars” could be detected through radio waves emitted by ordinary matter absorbing the released energy. By utilizing a square kilometer radio telescope for new observations, scientists hope to identify these signs, aiding in a better understanding of the composition of dark matter, potentially including axions.
If the expected signal is not detected, it would not entirely disprove the theory, as alternative dark matter candidates similar to axions may exist. This discrepancy could also indicate variations in particle masses or reduced interactions with radiation compared to previous assumptions.
There is also a hypothesis that dark matter could consist of other particles, such as Wimps, which could also contribute to the formation of “dark stars”. These stars, nourished by dark matter, might have only existed in the early Universe, with prospects of detection using the James Webb Space Telescope.
Scientists are increasingly focused on axions and are devising strategies for their potential discovery, aiming to illuminate one of the prominent mysteries in modern astrophysics – the enigmatic nature of dark matter.