The early universe may have produced extreme gravitational objects whose deepest regions remained exposed to space. Called primordial naked singularities, these hypothetical objects would differ from black holes in one crucial respect: no event horizon would conceal their central region. If they exist, their surroundings could offer an unusual opportunity to investigate gravity under extreme conditions.
Pankaj Joshi of Ahmedabad University and Sudip Bhattacharyya of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research explore that possibility in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. Their theoretical work considers how collapsing matter could produce different outcomes in the young cosmos. It places naked singularities alongside primordial black holes as possible products of early gravitational collapse. Neither proposed population has been established through confirmed observations.
The attraction for physicists is the potential connection to quantum gravity. This field seeks a consistent description of gravity that incorporates quantum physics. A region where gravity becomes extraordinarily strong could help reveal which ideas describe nature accurately. The researchers propose a possible setting for those tests, with its physical existence still to be determined.
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