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What Happens When Supernova Energy Interact With Dark Matter Through Dark Radiation?

Supernova explosions are some of the most powerful events in the universe, releasing huge amounts of energy. Scientists know they affect the regular matter in galaxies, but what about their impact on dark matter (DM), the mysterious substance that makes up most of the universe’s mass? In the recent study, Vogl and Xu explores how supernova energy could interact with dark matter through a type of invisible energy called dark radiation.

The researchers propose that if even a small fraction of a supernova's energy escapes as dark radiation into the surrounding DM halo, it could alter the halo's shape. Normally, DM halos have a dense “cuspy” center, but the energy from dark radiation might smooth out this center into a less dense “core.” This might explain why some small galaxies, like dwarf galaxies, have cores instead of cusps.

To test this idea, the researchers looked at several theoretical models of dark radiation, including particles like dark photons and dark Higgs bosons. They found that in these models, dark radiation could interact with DM halos in a way that aligns with observed galaxy shapes.

Moreover, they showed that the observed properties of a famous supernova, SN1987A, place limits on how much energy can be transferred to dark radiation. These limits, however, still leave room for dark radiation to significantly affect DM halos in small galaxies.

This study suggests that supernovae could be a key to understanding how DM behaves and interacts with new particles, shedding light on both galaxy formation and fundamental physics.

Reference: Stefan Vogl, Xun-Jie Xu, "Heating the dark matter halo with dark radiation from supernovae", Arxiv, 2024. https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.18052


Technical Terms

1. Supernova (SN)

A supernova is the explosive death of a massive star. When a star runs out of fuel to keep burning, it collapses under its own gravity and releases an enormous amount of energy, making it one of the brightest and most powerful events in the universe.

2. Dark Matter (DM)

Dark matter is a mysterious form of matter that doesn’t emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible. Scientists know it exists because of its gravitational effects on galaxies and stars, but they don’t yet know what it’s made of.

3. Dark Radiation

Dark radiation refers to hypothetical particles or energy that interact weakly with normal matter and dark matter. It’s a way for energy to move through or affect the dark matter in the universe without us directly detecting it.

4. Dark Photon

A dark photon is a theoretical particle similar to a photon (light particle), but it interacts with dark matter instead of regular matter. It’s one of the proposed candidates for dark radiation.

5. Cuspy vs. Cored Halo

  • Cuspy Halo: A DM halo with a dense, sharp concentration of dark matter at its center.
  • Cored Halo: A DM halo with a smoother, less dense center.
    This difference is important because real galaxies sometimes have cored halos, which scientists are trying to explain.

6. SN1987A

This is a famous supernova observed in 1987. It’s one of the closest and most studied supernovae, giving scientists valuable data about supernova behavior and their effects on the surrounding environment.

7. Opacity of DM Halo

This term refers to how much dark matter can block or absorb dark radiation. If a DM halo is "opaque" to dark radiation, it means the radiation interacts with the dark matter rather than simply passing through it.

8. B−L and Lμ−Lτ Models

These are specific theories in particle physics that predict the existence of new particles or forces:

  • B−L (Baryon minus Lepton): This model suggests new particles associated with the difference between the number of protons (baryons) and electrons (leptons).
  • Lμ−Lτ: This model focuses on differences between types of neutrinos (muon and tau neutrinos) and predicts related new particles.

9. Benchmark Models

These are simplified versions of theoretical models used to test ideas. In this case, they use benchmark models to explore how dark radiation might behave and interact with dark matter in the presence of supernova energy.

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