Scientists Predict 90% Chance Of Black Hole Explosion By 2035 That Could Reveal Universe's Secrets

Scientists have claimed that humanity has a 90 per cent chance of observing an exploding black hole within the next decade. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, believe that such an explosion could revolutionise and rewrite the history of the universe, as unknown particles that make up the universe, such as dark matter, could be studied.

The new study, published in Physical Review Letters, states that the predicted explosion could be strong evidence of a theorised but never observed kind of black hole, called a "primordial black hole" (PBH). Stephen Hawking proposed the existence of PBH in 1970, which may have formed only seconds after the Big Bang.

If PBHs do exist, scientists predict that they might have been the seeds for the supermassive black holes that lurk in the middle of most galaxies. Others may have finally reached the end of their lifespans, with researchers now hopeful of witnessing this 'last-dance' explosion.

"We're not claiming that it's absolutely going to happen this decade, but there could be a 90% chance that it does. Since we already have the technology to observe these explosions, we should be ready," said Michael Baker, co-author and an assistant professor of physics at UMass Amherst.

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PBH explosion

To observe this explosion, the researchers have proposed a "dark-charge" toy model. The team then reconsidered long-held assumptions about the electrical charge of black holes. Standard black holes have no charge, and it was assumed that PBHs are likewise electrically neutral.

"We make a different assumption. We show that if a primordial black hole is formed with a small dark electric charge, then the toy model predicts that it should be temporarily stabilised before finally exploding," said Mr Baker, which results in a PBH explosion occurring on average once every 10 years rather than once every 100,000 years.

The next step for the researchers is to prepare to make such a detection and take advantage of what they predict is a 90 per cent chance of a PBH exploding.