Physicists propose method to create dark matter from quantum vacuum

Physicists Stefan Evans and Ralf Schützhold from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf in Germany have proposed a new theoretical method to potentially create dark matter. Their research suggests that accelerating atomic nuclei to near-light speeds could disturb the quantum vacuum, creating pairs of axions.

Axions are hypothetical particles considered strong candidates for dark matter, which is believed to account for a significant portion of the universe's mass that remains invisible to direct observation. The theory utilizes the concept of quantum vacuum fluctuations, suggesting that the energy introduced by rapidly accelerating a nucleus could transform these fluctuations into actual axion pairs.