Researchers have discovered a potential clue to understanding dark matter, a mysterious phenomenon that makes up approximately 25% of the universe’s mass. The discovery involves celestial objects known as dark dwarfs, which could offer key insights into the nature of dark matter.
According to a new study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, dark dwarfs are tiny, low-mass objects that emit light due to their gravitational contraction. These objects are thought to be composed of dark matter, but scientists still do not know what dark matter is made of. Dark dwarfs are distinct from brown dwarfs, which are also small and faint, but rely on nuclear fusion reactions in their cores to produce energy.
However, if brown dwarfs are located in regions with high concentrations of dark matter at the center of our galaxy, they can transform into dark dwarfs. The presence of dark dwarfs could be detected using current observational tools such as the James Webb Space Telescope by looking for specific markers like Lithium-7. If a dark dwarf is identified, it would provide strong evidence that dark matter is composed of heavy particles that interact strongly with themselves.
While observing a dark dwarf wouldn’t conclusively prove that dark matter is made up of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), it would suggest that dark matter has certain properties. The discovery could have significant implications for understanding the nature of dark matter and its role in shaping our universe.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-07-dark-dwarfs-lurking-center-galaxy.html