Studying the cosmos is like completing a puzzle with many missing pieces. Researchers in this field develop understandings based on observations that add context one piece at a time. As technology advances, more powerful tools become available, uncovering valuable pieces of information that guide scientific hypotheses.

Much of the information about the universe comes from light, which carries vital data about the composition, temperature, motion, and distance of celestial objects. Because light travels at a constant speed, observing distant stars provides scientists with a glimpse into the past. Expanding the size of the observable universe, therefore, unveils information about earlier cosmic events, stretching back towards the beginning of time.

The advent of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has provided unprecedented views of the universe, enabling the observation of galaxies and stars even further away than ever before. Its high-resolution and high-sensitivity instruments are beginning to reveal findings that are difficult to explain using current models of the early universe.

An article published in the Open Access journal Universe disseminates some of the recent findings from the JWST. The researchers argue that although these observations struggle to fit current models, alternative ideas, such as dark star theory, may help explain these unexpected discoveries.

As science progresses and new information becomes available, it is essential that scientists continue to challenge existing theories. This practice drives scientific progress, leading to more accurate and robust understandings of the universe.

Star formation

Normal stars, such as the sun, begin to form from giant molecular clouds called nebular clouds. These entities are composed of cold hydrogen gas and dust. As they become denser, they collapse under gravity which causes pressures and temperatures in their core to rise high enough to promote nuclear fusion. This process releases enormous amounts of energy in the form of heat and light.

The balance between gravity pulling inward and energy pushing outward allows stars to remain stable for billions of years. Because their energy comes from fusion, normal stars follow predictable life cycles that are well described by current stellar models.

Dark stars

Dark stars are a theoretical type of early star that may have formed in the young universe under very different conditions. Instead of being powered by nuclear fusion, dark stars are hypothesised to be powered by the annihilation of dark matter particles within their cores.

This alternative energy source would allow dark stars to grow much larger and cooler than normal stars while still emitting significant amounts of light. If they existed, dark stars could help to explain unusual observations of extremely massive and distant objects seen by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Unexpected discoveries

Taking a deeper look at the early universe through the James Webb Space Telescope has presented observational puzzles that cannot be explained using existing models describing the early galaxy.

The three major puzzles discussed in this paper can be described as:

1. The discovery of “Blue Monsters” – Ultra-compact yet very bright galaxies formed in the early universe. The brightness of these systems would suggest an extremely dense packing of stars which no current model could explain.
2. The discovery of “Little Red Dots” – Very compact, dust-free sources observed during the cosmic dawn. They weakly emit ultraviolet radiation, while emitting no X-ray radiation. These properties are confusing, suggesting unexpectedly massive or evolved stellar systems, despite limited time for star formation during this period.
3. The puzzle of early supermassive black holes – These are entities that power Quasars, extremely bright distant galaxy cores, by actively feeding on gas and dust. The origin of supermassive black holes is still not understood, and their apparent existence in the early universe now indicates that they are unlikely seeded by regular, nuclear-powered stars.

Many scientists in the field have been perplexed by these discoveries as they cannot be explained using pre-existing models. Theories describing the first galaxies and first supermassive black holes may require significant refinements, as Dr. Cosmin Ilie, corresponding author of the study states:

“Some of the most significant mysteries posed by the JWST’s cosmic dawn data are in fact features of the dark star theory.”

The argument for dark stars

The early universe was very different to what is observed today. Normal stars could not easily ignite during this time because gas clouds were too hot and lacked the efficient cooling mechanisms needed for collapse.

Dark stars are a significant scientific theory that describe hypothetical, massive bright stars powered by dark matter annihilation, a process feasible during the cosmic dawn era.

Recent discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope cannot be described by previous theories and simulations. The existence of “Blue Monsters” and “Little Red Dots” was not predicted by these models. However, they can be explained by the introduction of dark stars.

Firstly, “Blue Monsters” appear as ultra-compact yet extremely bright sources. If they are galaxies, the brightness would require an unrealistically dense packing of stars which is unlikely. Interpreting them instead as isolated supermassive dark stars better fits the observation. Additionally, their very low dust-to-stellar mass ratios cannot be produced by standard stellar simulations, whereas supermassive dark stars naturally suppress dust production.

Secondly, “Little Red Dots” are observed as extremely compact sources, making them unlikely to be galaxies due to the impossibly implied stellar density. They also exhibit unusually low radiation emissions. One possible explanation is that they indicate surrounded by stellar remnants, consistent with supermassive dark star collapse scenarios.

Finally, the presence of supermassive black holes in the early universe is difficult to explain through nuclear-powered stars alone. Instead, their existence may provide further evidence for supermassive dark stars, whose collapse could directly seed supermassive black holes.

These discoveries invite a reconsideration of early-universe models and the potential role of dark stars in cosmic evolution.

Expanding our understanding of the universe

Dark stars are yet to be confirmed experimentally. However, recent discoveries made by the James Webb Space Telescope are difficult to explain without incorporating such objects into current theoretical frameworks.

This publication highlights a significant contribution that complements existing evidence supporting the possible existence of dark stars. The authors present a comprehensive spectroscopic analysis of JWST observations and outline several future studies that could provide further evidence for dark star existence.

Overall, these findings demonstrate the importance of challenging established scientific models. The emergence of new observational puzzles encourages the development of alternative explanations, which in turn advances our understanding of debated topics.

More studies on the cosmos and the James Webb Space Telescope can be found across the Open Access journals Galaxies and Universe. Alternatively, you can access the full MDPI journal list here.