A new study has proposed the existence of a new type of cosmic object that could be hiding at the centre of our galaxy.
This new research was led by Dr Djuna Croon from our top-rated Physics department, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Hawai‘i and the University of Liverpool.
The research team also included an undergraduate student from our Physics department.
Known as ‘dark dwarfs’, these unusual star-like bodies may hold important clues about dark matter (the invisible material thought to make up most of the matter in the universe).
Their work suggests that dark dwarfs form when dark matter particles are captured by small stars called brown dwarfs.
The energy from dark matter could keep these objects glowing steadily for billions of years.
Unlike ordinary stars, which shine through nuclear fusion, dark dwarfs would be powered by dark matter particles destroying each other inside the star.
This process, known as annihilation, could produce enough energy to stop the star from cooling down, effectively making it shine forever.
What makes this discovery especially exciting is that dark dwarfs might already exist in space particularly in the centre of the Milky Way, where dark matter is expected to be most concentrated.
If found, they could offer rare insight into the true nature of dark matter, one of the biggest mysteries in science today.
To tell dark dwarfs apart from other faint stars, the team points to a special clue: a chemical element called lithium.
In most stars, lithium is quickly destroyed. But in dark dwarfs, it should remain intact.
Spotting lithium where it shouldn’t be could be the key to identifying these strange objects.
The team emphasised finding even one dark dwarf would be a huge step forward in understanding dark matter.
The team hopes that powerful telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope will soon be able to detect these elusive stars.
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