A new study suggests that mysterious, tiny black holes formed in the early universe might be responsible for one of astronomy’s most important and puzzling phenomena: Type Ia supernovae.
For decades, scientists have believed these powerful explosions happen when a white dwarf star—the burnt-out core of a once-normal star—steals material from a nearby companion star until it reaches a tipping point and explodes.
But this explanation doesn’t fully match what astronomers see in the sky.
The patterns of brightness from these supernovae are remarkably consistent, and the “companion star” theory has left several questions unanswered.
Now, Dr. Shing-Chi Leung, a physics professor at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and his student, Seth Walther, have put forward a bold new idea.
Their research, published in The Astrophysical Journal, suggests that tiny primordial black holes (PBHs) could trigger these explosions without any companion star.
Primordial black holes are thought to have formed shortly after the Big Bang.
Despite being only a few nanometers across—smaller than a virus—they can weigh as much as an asteroid. If one of these dense objects happens to pass through a white dwarf, its gravity would release an enormous amount of heat inside the star.
This heat could ignite runaway nuclear reactions, causing the star to explode as a Type Ia supernova.
Using advanced computer simulations, the team found that this model matches the famous “Phillips relation,” which describes the predictable brightness of Type Ia supernovae. This predictability is the reason astronomers rely on them as “standard candles” to measure distances across the universe.
If the PBH-triggered model holds true, it not only solves a long-standing puzzle but also provides a potential clue to the nature of dark matter—the invisible substance that makes up about 90% of the universe’s mass.
“There are a lot of exciting implications from these results,” said Dr. Leung. “It shows how these explosions could happen across a wide range of star sizes and still match the patterns we observe. It might also give us indirect evidence that primordial black holes are part of dark matter.”
The project also highlights hands-on opportunities for SUNY Poly students. Walther began the research through a summer program and has since presented their findings at a major international physics conference.
Looking ahead, the team plans to explore how PBH-triggered supernovae may affect the chemical evolution of galaxies, especially the formation of elements like iron, manganese, and nickel that are forged in stellar explosions.
Source: KSR.
