Perimeter Institute researchers developed KISS-SIDM, efficiently simulating self-interacting dark matter, explaining dense galaxy cores and early supermassive black holes.
New simulation shows self-interacting dark matter heating, collapsing galaxy cores, reshaping evolution
Photo Credit: NASA
For nearly a century, scientists have puzzled over the nature of dark matter and its role in shaping galaxies. A new study from Canada's Perimeter Institute introduces a simulation tool to study self-interacting dark matter (SIDM), showing it can dramatically heat and collapse the cores of dark-matter halos. This faster, more accurate code could open a path to understanding dark matter's impact on galaxy evolution.
In a new Physical Review Letters paper, Perimeter physicists James Gurian and Simon May unveil a simulation code called KISS-SIDM. It bridges a gap between existing methods by modelling “in-between” halo densities where previous approaches failed. According to the team, KISS-SIDM is faster and more accurate than earlier tools, and it can even run on a laptop instead of a supercomputer.
Dark matter halos are invisible regions around galaxies and serve as a pathway for star formation to occur. In some theories of dark matter, interactions were minimal. In SIDM theory, some rare interactions result in heat moving in a direction away from the matter and result in a phenomenon called “gravothermal collapse.” The process leads to a hot and dense central region of a dark matter halo as a result of migrating energy.
Some theorists propose that such collapsing cores may provide a seeding mechanism for the creation of black holes. This can possibly account for the early manifestation of supermassive black holes. The newly developed code by KISS-SIDM allows theorists a chance to test their theories. This is linked to several other puzzles related to seemingly unusual galaxy observations. This includes their dense cores.
Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.