Ancient Black Holes Could Leave Tiny Tunnels in Rocks and Buildings

Black holes are usually detected light-years away, but a new study suggests they could also be found here on Earth, in the form of tiny tunnels carved through rocks or ancient buildings.

Scientists theorize that primordial black holes formed shortly after the Big Bang, unlike regular black holes, which form from collapsing massive stars. They believe these tiny black holes have the mass of an asteroid packed into the size of an atom and could still be traveling through space today. They are invisible and only interact with matter via gravity, making them a potential candidate for dark matter.

Modeling the Effects of a Fast-Moving Primordial Black Hole

In the new study, physicists from the University at Buffalo and National Dong Hwa University calculated the effects of a small, fast-moving black hole when it encounters a solid object, like a planet. They determined that a primordial black hole with a mass of 10^19 kg would pass right through a planet, leaving behind a tunnel only 100 nanometers wide.

This mass is roughly equivalent to 324 Bamberga, the 16th-largest asteroid in the asteroid belt. While it’s 22 times the size of the asteroid that caused the dinosaurs’ extinction, it wouldn’t create such catastrophic destruction. The black hole would travel at a much higher speed, concentrating its mass in a much smaller area, hitting with the force of a bullet rather than a bomb.

Dejan Stojkovic, co-author of the study, explains, “If a projectile moves through a medium faster than sound, the molecules don’t have time to react.” He likens it to a rock shattering a window, whereas a bullet would simply pierce through.

Tiny Tunnels as Potential Evidence for Primordial Black Holes

These microscopic tunnels could serve as the proof needed to detect primordial black holes. Although small, these holes are large enough to be visible under a microscope, meaning we could scan rocks that are billions of years old or even centuries-old buildings for straight, microscopic wormholes.

However, the chances are slim. The researchers calculated that the likelihood of a primordial black hole passing through a billion-year-old boulder is just 0.000001%. Nonetheless, the team argues that it’s a simple test worth trying.

“The chances are low, but the effort to search is minimal, and the potential discovery of primordial black holes would be a huge breakthrough,” said Stojkovic.

What about planets with a liquid core? The team also studied how a primordial black hole would interact with such planets. They found that it could get stuck in the center, absorbing the liquid and creating a hollow core.

Hollowing Out Small Planets and Moons

In such cases, the black hole might remain at the center, or if disturbed, could create a hollow shell. If the planet were smaller than 10% of Earth’s size, the hollow shell could potentially sustain itself. However, a larger planet would collapse under its own weight.

The team suggests that this could be another clue to finding primordial black holes. If scientists detect a planet or moon with a much lower density than expected, it could point to the presence of a hollow core.

Though it may be a long shot, this method offers a unique way to search for evidence of primordial black holes, which aligns with the same researcher’s previous work on detecting wormholes in space.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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