A million-solar-mass object discovered via gravitational lensing was analyzed under various mass profile and redshift assumptions. The best-fit models require two components: an unresolved point mass with radius ≤10 pc, centered within an extended distribution of nearly constant surface density out to a truncation radius of 139 pc. Such properties do not correspond to any known astronomical object. If the object is dark matter-dominated, its structure is incompatible with cold dark matter predictions, but matches self-interacting dark matter scenarios where the central region has collapsed into a black hole. This detection may have significant implications for dark matter physics.
Supermassive bodies warp space, turning into a lens that bends light from distant objects. Such spacetime curvature allows astronomers to see the invisible. Recently, this method helped detect a hidden clump with the mass of a million Suns.
Analysis of light distortions revealed the strange structure of the find. A tiny dense core—most likely a black hole —is surrounded by a vast cloud stretching hundreds of light-years with nearly constant density. In the standard model of dark matter, density should increase towards the center, like thickening jelly. Here it's the opposite, like a lens with a blurred focus. This structure aligns with the self-interacting dark matter hypothesis: its particles can collide and stick together, preventing a dense core from forming.
🎯 Einstein predicted gravitational lenses back in 1912, but thought the effect would be unnoticeable. Today, it's our main tool for 'weighing' the invisible.