Science Podcast | Are neutron stars dark matter ‘factories’?

Axions are one of several candidates proposed to be members of the so-called dark matter, the mysterious material that accounts for more than a quarter (27%) of the mass of the universe. Another 5% is made up of ordinary matter, and the remaining 68% is made up of the even more mysterious dark energy.

Now, a team of researchers from the universities of Amsterdam, Princeton and Oxford now propose that axions could form ‘clouds’ around neutron stars, which are the extraordinarily dense remains of collapsed, dead stars. The finding offers a new setting where researchers can focus their searches for dark matter, while highlighting the potential utility of having a radio telescope in space.

All episodes of “Dark Materials” can be found on the main audio platforms, such as Spotify, Ivoox, Apple