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UMass Physicists Propose Exploding Primordial Black Hole to Explain 2023 Ultra‑High‑Energy Neutrino

The peer‑reviewed model invokes a dark charge to reconcile KM3NeT’s detection with IceCube’s silence.

There are different types of black holes, depending on their size and mass. The smallest ones are called primordial black holes, and they may have formed in the early universe. (Credit: faisalstudiobsp on Shutterstock)
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Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Overview

  • KM3NeT reported an approximately 100 PeV neutrino in 2023 that lacks a clear astrophysical source, while IceCube did not record a comparable event.
  • In Physical Review Letters, UMass Amherst researchers detail a quasi‑extremal primordial black hole carrying a hypothetical dark charge that includes a heavy “dark electron.”
  • The scenario relies on Hawking radiation from a small black hole nearing explosive evaporation to generate extreme‑energy particles such as neutrinos, with such outbursts potentially occurring about once per decade.
  • The proposed dark charge alters emission signatures and detector expectations in a way that could account for KM3NeT’s observation and IceCube’s non‑detection.
  • If validated, the framework would probe Hawking radiation, offer evidence for primordial black holes, and open pathways to explaining dark matter and particles beyond the Standard Model, though independent confirmation is still required.