Young CATA Astronomer Publishes Breakthrough in the Study of Primordial Black Holes
This research aims to investigate the incidence of primordial black holes in dark matter formation and their potential role in star formation.

photo_camera Graphic artist, Scott Wiessinger, takes a fanciful approach to imagining small primordial black holes. In reality, such tiny black holes would have a difficult time forming the accretion disks that make them visible here. (Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center)
Catalina Casanueva, a promising young astronomer and member of the Center for Astrophysics and Related Technologies (CATA), has published an insightful study on primordial black holes and their relationship to dark matter in the prestigious journal EDP Sciences.
This research aims to investigate primordial black holes and their possible influence on the evolution of the universe. While the existence of primordial black holes has yet to be confirmed, they are theoretical candidates for dark matter that could contribute to our understanding of cosmic formation and evolution.
It is important to note that if these black holes constituted a significant portion of dark matter, they would drastically alter the formation processes of stars and galaxies.
“Primordial black holes are not formed by the death of stars; instead, they originate from the early universe due to the extremely dense and energetic conditions present at that time. In the moments following the Big Bang, density fluctuations were so intense that some regions could have collapsed under their own gravity, leading to the formation of these black holes. They are relevant because they could be candidates for dark matter, which makes up approximately 85% of the universe's matter. Determining the nature of dark matter remains one of the greatest mysteries in astrophysics today,” explained Catalina Casanueva.
In their paper, Casanueva and her team, led by Patricia Tissera, Principal Investigator of CATA's Cosmology and Galaxy Formation area, established constraints on the amount of dark matter that could be composed of primordial black holes of a specific mass. They developed a model to simulate how the presence of these black holes would impact the gas within galaxies, thereby assessing the feasibility of star formation.
Their findings indicated that very massive black holes could generate excessive energy, heating up gas and inhibiting star formation. In contrast, the effects of very small black holes, specifically those with masses around 10^{-12} solar masses, were minimal.
However, for black holes with 33 solar masses—the mass observed in a recent black hole merger detectable via gravitational waves—the researchers aimed to determine if galaxies could exist under such conditions.
“There are astronomers who impose limits on the existence of primordial black holes through observations, like the gravitational lensing effect. However, our focus was on the early universe, using simulations to recreate extreme conditions and study how primordial black holes might have affected gas and galaxy formation during those epochs. This type of analysis is not feasible through observational methods due to the vast distances and timescales involved. Simulations allow us to explore theoretical scenarios and gain a deeper understanding of the potential influence of primordial black holes on the universe's evolution, giving us a more comprehensive view of their impact on cosmic structure formation,” added Casanueva, elaborating on the study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
In conclusion, the team tested various black hole masses to determine the maximum fraction of dark matter they could represent. They concluded that black holes with a mass of one solar mass cannot account for more than 1% of dark matter, while those with 33 and 100 solar masses cannot exceed 0.1%.
Future Research on Primordial Black Holes

Looking ahead, the researchers plan to implement their model in GADGET and generate simulations that will expand study opportunities for other researchers. They are also exploring issues related to primordial black holes, including the background radiation they emit.
Catalina Casanueva emphasized the importance of her collaboration with the Cosmology and Galaxy Formation team at CATA, working alongside Patricia Tissera.
“It is incredibly gratifying to collaborate with esteemed researchers and participate in workshops where we can share insights with other astronomers and advance studies like this one on primordial black holes.”