A new study has found that giant “vagrant waves” from invisible dark matter may disrupt the orbit of stars in binary systems, shedding light on the nature of one of the most enigmatic substances in the Universe.
For years, astronomers have been accumulating compelling evidence of the presence of dark matter, which accounts for approximately 85% of the mass in nearly every galaxy. Initially, scientists proposed that dark matter could be made up of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), which interact solely through gravity and weak nuclear forces. However, experiments searching for WIMP signatures on Earth yielded no results, and the model faced challenges in explaining the density of dark matter in galactic nuclei.
As a result, scientists have turned their focus to an alternative model where dark matter particles are incredibly light – lighter even than neutrinos, the lightest known particles. In this scenario, dark matter particles behave more like waves on the scale of the solar system and beyond.
A group of astronomers from China investigated this concept and explored potential methods for detecting such light dark matter. In their research findings, the scientists proposed that ultra-light dark matter does not travel through space like tiny projectiles but rather flows through galaxies like a massive, invisible ocean.
Of particular interest are solitons, large and entirely imperceptible waves that traverse galaxies. Despite their weak gravitational influence, the size of solitons is significant enough to affect the orbits of stars in wide binary systems. The astronomers identified all wide binary pairs in the GAIA catalog, containing data on over a billion stars near the Sun, for potential future observations. If these pairs begin to drift apart, it could be due to the influence of solitons.
The study suggests that monitoring the evolution of binary stars could serve as an exceptionally sensitive approach for detecting ultra-light dark matter, potentially surpassing the capabilities of Earth-based laboratories. Consequently, peculiar changes in the behavior of binary stars might offer initial insights into the enigmatic nature of dark matter.