Dark Matter: Quantum Vortices Around Black Holes ⚡ экспресс
By modeling dark matter as a Bose–Einstein condensate (a quantum state where particles behave as a single wave), physicists have calculated what stable shapes it can take near a black hole. These aren't just the familiar spherical cores, but also vortex rings — sort of like giant tornadoes made of dark matter. Using the numerical imaginary time method, they showed that even with mutual attraction between particles (negative self-interaction), there is a maximum allowable mass for a clump, beyond which it collapses. Such constraints are crucial for testing theories in which dark matter is a quantum fluid.
In the quantum world, dark matter particles can merge into a single superfluid droplet—a state where matter flows without friction, like an ideal fluid. When near a black hole, this droplet doesn’t just disappear into it but twists into stable vortices—like water swirling around a rock in a stream. Scientists found that the most stable ones are a dense central clump and a vortex encircling the hole. The latter can persist for years if the particles attract each other weakly: a balance of forces prevents it from falling apart.
The twist: these vortices affect the rotation of galaxies and even make the black hole wobble, generating a distinct “ringing” in gravitational waves—ripples in spacetime. And if the particles attract too strongly, the vortex collapses—scientists calculated a precise boundary for this collapse.
🎯 At ultralow temperatures, a special quantum fluid can behave as a single giant particle; when spun, it forms tiny tornado-like vortices—in labs, these are created using lasers.