{"id":782043,"date":"2024-05-08T18:10:03","date_gmt":"2024-05-08T23:10:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=782043"},"modified":"2024-05-08T18:10:03","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T23:10:03","slug":"roman-space-telescope-will-be-hunting-for-primordial-black-holes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=782043","title":{"rendered":"Roman Space Telescope Will Be Hunting For Primordial Black Holes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>When astrophysicists observe the cosmos, they see different types of black holes. They range from gargantuan supermassive black holes with billions of solar masses to difficult-to-find intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) all the way down to smaller stellar-mass black holes.<\/p>\n<p>But there may be another class of these objects: primordial black holes (PBHs) that formed in the very early Universe. If they exist, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope should be able to spot them. <\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-166916\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Stellar-mass black holes form when massive stars explode as supernovae. SMBHs grow over time by merging with other black holes. How IMBHs form is still unclear, but it could involve mergers between stellar-mass black holes or multiple stellar collisions in dense star clusters. <\/p>\n<p>Primordial black holes, if they exist, didn\u2019t have any of these mechanisms available to them. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIf we find them, it will shake up the field of theoretical physics.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><cite>William DeRocco, postdoctoral researcher, University of California Santa Cruz.<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Artist\u2019s impression of merging binary black holes. When they merge, they emit gravitational waves that observatories like LIGO can detect. Image Credit: LIGO\/A. Simonnet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Nobody knows if primordial black holes exist. They\u2019re theoretical. No physical process we know of can form them. But the early Universe was much different. <\/p>\n<p>New research published in Physical Review D shows how the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Telescope could detect these primordial Earth-mass objects. It\u2019s titled \u201cRevealing terrestrial-mass primordial black holes with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.\u201d The lead author is William DeRocco, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/Kw0rjI3K8m0RiCKYqd\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" frameborder=\"0\" class=\"giphy-embed\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>via GIPHY<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDetecting a population of Earth-mass primordial black holes would be an incredible step for both astronomy and particle physics because these objects can\u2019t be formed by any known physical process,\u201d lead author DeRocco said. \u201cIf we find them, it will shake up the field of theoretical physics.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the modern Universe, only stars with at least eight stellar masses can become black holes. Less massive stars will become neutron stars or white dwarfs. (The Sun will become a white dwarf.) <\/p>\n<p>But things were different in the early Universe. During a period of rapid inflation, space expanded faster than the speed of light. In these unusual conditions, dense areas could have collapsed into PBHs. The scale of these objects is remarkably small. They would be the size of Earth or smaller and have event horizons about as wide as a coin. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/PBH_formation-1024x360.jpg\" alt=\"PBHs could've formed when overdense regions in the inflationary or early radiation-dominated universe collapsed. Image Credit: By Gema White -  slide 19. Cropped to remove all elements of original authorship.Based on Kawasaki, Masahiro (2013-03-18). &quot;Primordial black hole formation from an axionlike curvaton model&quot;. Physical Review D 87 (6): 063519. DOI:10.1103\/PhysRevD.87.063519., Public Domain, \" class=\"wp-image-166919\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/PBH_formation-1024x360.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/PBH_formation-580x204.jpg 580w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/PBH_formation-250x88.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/PBH_formation-768x270.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/PBH_formation.jpg 1234w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">PBHs could\u2019ve formed when overdense regions in the inflationary or early radiation-dominated universe collapsed. Image Credit: By Gema White \u2013  slide 19. Cropped to remove all elements of original authorship.Based on Kawasaki, Masahiro (2013-03-18). \u201cPrimordial black hole formation from an axionlike curvaton model.\u201d Physical Review D 87 (6): 063519. DOI:10.1103\/PhysRevD.87.063519., Public Domain, <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The least massive of these ones would\u2019ve disappeared due to evaporation. That\u2019s what Stephen Hawking figured out. But some, the ones as massive as Earth, could\u2019ve survived. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/pbh-infographic-small.jpg\" alt=\"Stephen Hawking came up with the idea of black hole evaporation. He theorized that black holes slowly shrink as radiation escapes. The slow leak of what's now known as Hawking radiation would, over time, cause the black hole to simply evaporate. This infographic shows the estimated lifetimes and event horizon \u2013\u2013 the point past which infalling objects can't escape a black hole's gravitational grip \u2013\u2013 diameters for black holes of various small masses. Image Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center\" class=\"wp-image-166918\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/pbh-infographic-small.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/pbh-infographic-small-580x327.jpg 580w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/pbh-infographic-small-250x141.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/pbh-infographic-small-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&lt;Click on image for larger version&gt; Stephen Hawking came up with the idea of black hole evaporation. He theorized that black holes slowly shrink as radiation escapes. The slow leak of what\u2019s now known as Hawking radiation would, over time, cause the black hole to simply evaporate. This infographic shows the estimated lifetimes and event horizon \u2013\u2013 the point past which infalling objects can\u2019t escape a black hole\u2019s gravitational grip \u2013\u2013 diameters for black holes of various small masses. Image Credit: NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Even though they\u2019re theoretical, there are some evidential hints of their presence. Those hints come from gravitational microlensing. <\/p>\n<p>Two efforts have used microlensing to study objects in the Universe. One is OGLE, the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment. Another is MOA, Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics. OGLE found 17 isolated Earth-mass objects in space. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"628\" src=\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/LCO_ML_fig_corrected3-768x628.png\" alt=\"Planet OGLE-2012-BLG-0950Lb was detected through gravitational microlensing, a phenomenon that acts as Nature's magnifying glass. CREDIT: LCO\/D. BENNETT\" class=\"wp-image-141248\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/LCO_ML_fig_corrected3-768x628.png 768w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/LCO_ML_fig_corrected3-768x628-250x204.png 250w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/LCO_ML_fig_corrected3-768x628-580x474.png 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Planet OGLE-2012-BLG-0950Lb was detected through gravitational microlensing, a phenomenon that acts as Nature\u2019s magnifying glass. CREDIT: LCO\/D. BENNETT<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>These objects could be PBHs, or they could be rogue planets. Unfortunately, it\u2019s very difficult to differentiate on an individual basis. But since theory predicts the masses and the abundance of rogue planets, that could provide a way for the Roman Telescope to tell them apart from PBHs. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no way to tell between Earth-mass black holes and rogue planets on a case-by-case basis,\u201d DeRocco said. \u201cRoman will be extremely powerful in differentiating between the two statistically.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In their research, the authors explain it more fully. \u201cThe key point is that though PBH and FFP events cannot be discriminated on an event-by-event basis, the two populations can be distinguished by the statistical distribution of their event durations.\u201d Scientists think that Roman will find 10 times as many objects in this mass range than ground-based efforts like OGLE and MOA.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/trailer_still_1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Artist's impression of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, named after NASA\u2019s first Chief of Astronomy. When launched later this decade, the telescope should make a significant contribution to the study of FFPs and will hopefully detect PBHs. Credits: NASA\" class=\"wp-image-147666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/trailer_still_1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/trailer_still_1-580x326.jpg 580w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/trailer_still_1-250x141.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/trailer_still_1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/trailer_still_1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/trailer_still_1-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Artist\u2019s impression of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, named after NASA\u2019s first Chief of Astronomy. When launched later this decade, the telescope should make a significant contribution to the study of FFPs and will hopefully detect PBHs. Credits: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Finding primordial black holes would create a big upheaval. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt would affect everything from galaxy formation to the universe\u2019s dark matter content to cosmic history,\u201d said Kailash Sahu, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. Sahu wasn\u2019t involved in the research but understands the impact the results would have. \u201cConfirming their identities will be hard work and astronomers will need a lot of convincing, but it would be well worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If the Roman Space Telescope can find the black holes and confirm them, it could be a defining moment in astronomical history. The discovery would be strong evidence in favour of a period of rapid inflation in the early Universe, an epoch that so far is unproven. Physicists think there must have been a period like this as it helps explain so much else about the Universe. <\/p>\n<p>More excitingly, these primordial black holes could comprise a percentage of dark matter. A small percentage, but a massive improvement over our current understanding of what dark matter is. Scientists keep looking for things like WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) and other particles that could be dark matter, but they never find them. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe nature of dark matter remains one of the most pressing open questions in fundamental physics. While multiple lines of compelling evidence indicate its existence, its microphysical nature remains unknown,\u201d the authors explain. <\/p>\n<p>The elegant thing about the Roman and PBHs is that it won\u2019t require a special effort to find them. The Roman will already search for planets. \u201cRoman\u2019s Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey is expected<br \/>to observe hundreds of low-mass microlensing events, enabling a robust statistical characterization<br \/>of this population,\u201d the authors write in their paper. <\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/ZWD6thzSUtfRslZxL8\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" frameborder=\"0\" class=\"giphy-embed\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>via GIPHY<\/p>\n<p>Each space telescope we launch is a new window into some aspect of the Universe. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope sure will be. \u201cThough its Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey targets bound and unbound exoplanets, we have shown that it will have unprecedented sensitivity to physics beyond the Standard Model as well,\u201d DeRocco and his co-researchers write in their paper. That\u2019s because it can \u201cprobe the fraction of dark matter composed of primordial black holes,\u201d they write.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is an exciting example of something extra scientists could do with data Roman is already going to get as it searches for planets,\u201d Sahu said. \u201cAnd the results are interesting whether or not scientists find evidence that Earth-mass black holes exist. It would strengthen our understanding of the universe in either case.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And who doesn\u2019t want a stronger understanding of the Universe?<\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-block sd-like jetpack-likes-widget-wrapper jetpack-likes-widget-unloaded\" id=\"like-post-wrapper-24000880-166916-663c02ed3ad46\" data-src=\"https:\/\/widgets.wp.com\/likes\/?ver=13.2#blog_id=24000880&amp;post_id=166916&amp;origin=www.universetoday.com&amp;obj_id=24000880-166916-663c02ed3ad46&amp;n=1\" data-name=\"like-post-frame-24000880-166916-663c02ed3ad46\" data-title=\"Like or Reblog\">\n<h3 class=\"sd-title\">Like this:<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"button\"><span>Like<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"loading\">Loading&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"sd-text-color\"\/><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/166916\/roman-space-telescope-will-be-hunting-for-primordial-black-holes\/?rand=772204\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When astrophysicists observe the cosmos, they see different types of black holes. They range from gargantuan supermassive black holes with billions of solar masses to difficult-to-find intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs)&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":782044,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-782043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genaero"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/782043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=782043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/782043\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/782044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=782043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=782043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=782043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}