Gravitational waves may reveal nature of dark matter

Recent research conducted by an international team led by UCL suggests that the observation of gravitational waves resulting from the merging of black holes could provide valuable insights into the nature of dark matter. The study, presented at the 2023 National Astronomy Meeting in Cardiff and published in the journal Physical Review D, utilized computer simulations to examine the production of gravitational wave signals in simulated universes with different types of dark matter.

According to the findings of the study, the number of black hole merger events detected by upcoming observatories could serve as an indicator of whether or not dark matter interacts with other particles, thus helping to determine its composition. Dark matter is widely considered to be one of the most significant unknowns in our understanding of the universe. Despite strong evidence suggesting that dark matter constitutes 85% of all matter in the universe, there is currently no consensus on its fundamental properties, including whether or not dark matter particles can collide with other particles such as atoms or neutrinos.

One approach to investigating this question is to study how galaxies form within dense clouds of dark matter known as haloes. In scenarios where dark matter collides with neutrinos, the structure of dark matter becomes dispersed, resulting in fewer galaxies being formed. However, the challenge lies in the fact that the missing galaxies are small and located at great distances, making them difficult to observe even with the most advanced telescopes currently available.

Instead of directly studying the missing galaxies, the study proposes using gravitational waves as an indirect measure of their presence. Computer simulations indicate that in models where dark matter interacts with other particles, there are notably fewer black hole mergers in the distant universe. While this effect is currently too subtle to be observed by existing gravitational wave experiments, it is expected to be a key focus of future observatories currently in development.

The researchers behind the study hope that their methodology will inspire new avenues for utilizing gravitational wave data to explore the large-scale structure of the universe and shed light on the enigmatic nature of dark matter. Dr. Alex Jenkins, one of the lead authors of the study, remarked that gravitational waves are a powerful tool for observing the distant universe and that the next generation of observatories will provide unprecedented insights into the cosmos. Co-author Dr. Sownak Bose added that dark matter remains a mystery in our understanding of the universe, emphasizing the importance of utilizing gravitational-wave astronomy to further investigate dark matter models and the formation and evolution of galaxies.

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