Simulations have expanded the possible parameters for the existence of “dark photons”
New computer simulations have shown that hypothetical “dark photons” may not have heated the plasma of the early universe as much as previously thought. This broadens the range of parameters within which these particles can be considered as candidates for dark matter, according to Space.com.
Dark matter, according to current estimates, outnumbers ordinary matter—which makes up stars, planets, moons, and human bodies—by about a factor of five. It remains virtually invisible because it does not interact with light. One possible explanation for its nature is dark photons—hypothetical particles that mediate an interaction different from electromagnetism, which is carried by ordinary photons.
Previously, scientists believed that in the dense plasma of the early universe, dark photons would transform into ordinary ones. Such a process would have further heated the plasma and left noticeable traces, which is why cosmological observations significantly limited the possible properties of dark photons.
For more breaking news, follow the UA.News Telegram channel.
The research team concluded that previous calculations were based on a linear approximation, in which energy transfer occurs gradually and uniformly. Simulations, however, revealed nonlinear processes in the plasma: after converting a small portion of the energy, these processes effectively halt the further conversion of dark photons into ordinary ones. Consequently, significant heating of the early universe may not have occurred.
Team member Anson Guk of the University of Maryland stated that previous constraints required the strength of the relevant interaction to be 10⁸ times weaker than it actually might be. According to researcher Mohammad Shalabi of the Perimeter Institute, a correct calculation of the properties of early-Universe plasma will allow experiments to test new ranges of parameters. The study was published on August 13 in the journal *Physical Review Letters*.
