Scientists have hypothesised that wormholes could be lurking in the Milky Way, thanks to dark matter. According to a new study, this invisible force that is yet to be seen has the perfect properties that could not only open a wormhole, but keep it stable and its neck open to make it traversable. Co–author Dr Saibal Ray, an astrophysicist from GLA University in India, said, “Dark matter is hypothesised to lead to wormhole formation because its unique density and gravitational collapse in extreme environments can alter spacetime topology.” Several theories suggest that dark matter pulls things together with gravity, and this makes it an unlikely source of stable wormholes. However, physicists largely believe that wormholes can’t exist for more than a short instant, as the extreme gravitational force would lead to their walls collapsing. In the latest study, this is where dark matter comes into the picture.
The unique properties of dark matter would keep the wormholes stable and force the throat to remain open. “While standard dark matter holds galaxies together, specific models suggest its ‘condensate properties’ can trigger the structural, traversable ‘throat’ of a wormhole during collapse,” Dr Ray says. Our galaxy is believed to have a “dark matter halo” stretching out up to one million light–years from the galactic core. Scientists say this abundant amount of dark matter makes it very likely that spiral galaxies, such as the Milky Way, could be harbouring wormholes. Dr Ray says their study has theoretically shown that a wormhole exists at the central part of the Milky Way, as well as at its edge. The researchers further believe that if there is a wormhole at the centre of the Milky Way, it would be enormous, about 32,600 light–years across.
Wormholes, also known as Einstein–Rosen bridges, are theoretical passages connecting two points in the universe. They were first proposed in 1935 by Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen. They might not sound realistic, but the rules of science allow for their existence. According to Einstein’s theory of general relativity, space and time aren’t flat because the universe is constantly stretching and twisting. A wormhole is also one way to twist space-time. “A wormhole is nothing but a passage from one point to another,” says Dr Ray. In simple terms, anything that falls into one side of the wormhole would come out the other almost instantly. A tunnel known as a throat connects the two points, one of which is the black hole where light and matter fall, and the other is the white hole from where they would escape.
Researchers have connected the science behind stable wormholes to dark matter. While never seen, dark matter is what is believed to be causing the gravitational pull that is shaping galaxies and other large structures in the universe. Ideally, the amount of force would lead wormholes to collapse, but when dark energy is introduced into the picture, they turn real. This means that if this theory is correct, we could have a wormhole right here that connects us to another point in the cosmos.