Pulsar Timing Arrays Could Look for Evidence of Dark Matter Stars

Pulsar timing arrays are being used to study gravitational waves from early cosmic inflation, but current observations suggest that the gravitational waves from inflation are dominated by supermassive black holes rather than the expected signals. A new study explores whether supermassive black holes could have formed through a different mechanism, such as Direct Collapse Black Holes, or if they could have formed from dark matter interactions. The research finds that the observed gravitational wave signals place an upper limit on the number of Direct Collapse Black Holes, but they are unlikely to be common. Supermassive Dark Stars, if they existed, would be much more common and could produce stronger gravitational waves, but this does not prove their existence.

• The study highlights that pulsar timing arrays are a valuable tool for exploring the cosmic background of gravitational waves.
• The findings suggest that while Direct Collapse Black Holes are rare, Supermassive Dark Stars could be more common and might explain the observed gravitational wave signals.
• The research emphasizes that pulsar timing arrays may not be able to prove early cosmic inflation but could help uncover the nature of dark matter.
• The study indicates that the gravitational wave signals observed today might be the main source of the cosmic background, but this does not confirm the existence of Supermassive Dark Stars.

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