Exoplanets could reveal planet sized black holes if dark matter is heavy

A UC Riverside study suggests exoplanets could help test dark matter by examining the possibility that planet sized black holes form inside gas giants.

Dark matter may form planet sized black holes in gas giants

More than five thousand exoplanets have been found, expanding how scientists study planetary evolution and the search for life. In Physical Review D, a UC Riverside team argues that dark matter particles, if heavy and non annihilating, could slowly gather in the cores of gas giants and potentially collapse into black holes. If such a planet sized black hole formed, it could grow by consuming the host planet, a scenario that would push current theories about black hole formation.

The authors emphasize that this is theoretical work and that current instruments cannot yet detect the small signals expected from heating or high energy emissions. They also note that exoplanet surveys, along with upcoming space missions, could test the idea by looking for planets that have not collapsed or by studying environments where dark matter density is high, such as near the Milky Way’s center.

The proposal blends planetary science with particle physics in a new way. It invites researchers to treat planets as laboratories for fundamental questions, but it relies on assumptions about dark matter that may not hold. The strength lies in using data we can collect now and in the near future to test bold ideas, rather than waiting for a laboratory breakthrough.

Yet the claim rests on a model with extreme conditions. Observational confirmation would demand careful separation of planetary evolution processes from dark matter effects, and building convincing evidence could take years. The real test will be whether exoplanet surveys can provide clean signals that distinguish this scenario from ordinary planetary dynamics.

Highlights

The idea invites a new kind of hunt, one that blends planetary science with fundamental physics.