Primordial Black Holes: Missing Link in Dark Matter Mystery?

Primordial black holes (PBHs), formed in the early Universe, are considered potential contributors to dark matter. While not yet directly observed, their existence could explain the Universe's heavier-than-expected mass and binary black hole mergers detected via gravitational waves. A team at the University of Tokyo suggests that PBHs may be less abundant than current models indicate. Researchers are using gravitational wave observatories like LIGO (U.S.), Virgo (Italy), and KAGRA (Japan) to search for these elusive objects. Discovering PBHs would provide insights into the conditions of the early Universe shortly after the Big Bang. Researchers are refining models of PBH formation using quantum field theory to align with observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the afterglow of the Big Bang. This approach suggests that early, small-scale fluctuations in the Universe could affect larger-scale fluctuations in the CMB, influencing the formation of PBHs. Findings may limit the number of PBHs, impacting their viability as dark matter candidates.