A new study suggests that a strange and long-theorized type of object called a dark star could help explain several major mysteries uncovered by the James Webb Space Telescope while observing the early universe.
The research, published in the journal Universe, was led by Cosmin Ilie, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Colgate University, along with collaborators from the University of Pennsylvania, the Space Telescope Science Institute, and the University of Texas at Austin.
Since its launch, JWST has been peering farther back in time than any telescope before it, capturing images from the “cosmic dawn”—the era when the first stars and galaxies formed.
But instead of neatly confirming existing theories, JWST has revealed several surprises that scientists have struggled to explain.
One surprise is the discovery of so-called “blue monster” galaxies. These objects are extremely bright, very compact, and almost completely free of dust.
Before JWST, no computer simulations predicted that such galaxies should exist so early in cosmic history.
Another puzzle is the presence of galaxies that appear to host supermassive black holes far larger than expected for their age. According to standard models, there simply shouldn’t have been enough time after the Big Bang for black holes to grow that massive.
A third mystery involves tiny, reddish objects nicknamed “little red dots.” These compact sources show almost no dust and emit little or no X-ray radiation, which is unusual if they contain actively growing black holes.
Ilie and his colleagues argue that all three mysteries may point to the same underlying explanation: dark stars.
Unlike normal stars, which shine because of nuclear fusion, dark stars would be powered by interactions involving dark matter. Scientists believe the first stars formed in regions rich in dark matter, shortly after clouds of hydrogen and helium cooled enough to collapse under gravity.
Under the right conditions, dark matter particles could have supplied an extra energy source, allowing dark stars to grow extremely large.
According to the study, dark stars could naturally explain why some early galaxies appear unusually bright and compact. They could also act as ready-made “seeds” for the rapid formation of supermassive black holes, solving the black hole growth problem. Their unique structure may also explain why little red dots emit so little X-ray radiation.
While dark stars have not yet been confirmed, the authors point to growing evidence. Recent studies have identified possible dark star candidates using JWST data, including specific helium-related absorption features that may serve as a “smoking gun” signature.
If dark stars are real, studying them could do more than explain the early universe. They might also offer rare clues about the nature of dark matter itself—one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in modern physics.
Source: KSR.
