Recent research by physicists Dai De-Chang and Dejan Stojkovic proposes that primordial black holes, potentially formed shortly after the Big Bang, may exist inside planets and asteroids. This theory builds on the possibility that these small black holes could contribute to the mysterious dark matter that constitutes a significant portion of the universe's mass.
The study highlights that these black holes could be extremely tiny, with sizes comparable to bacteria, yet possess mass akin to that of dwarf planets. The researchers suggest that a black hole of this size could consume a planet's metallic core within weeks or months while leaving the outer crust intact if it is made of resilient materials like granite.
Interestingly, the presence of such black holes might not be detectable from the outside due to the indistinguishable gravitational fields of spherical bodies. However, if a black hole were ejected from the center of a planet, it could leave behind a detectable hollow structure.
The researchers propose using large, polished metal plates as detectors to capture the subtle changes caused by these black holes passing through solid matter. Although they acknowledge the slim chances of detection, the experiment could yield significant insights into the nature of black holes and dark matter.