Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

Gamma rays and energetic particles from primordial black holes

Abstract

Black holes of almost arbitrarily small mass may have formed in the very early Universe. Their presence today would be revealed by the energetic radiation they would produce by means of the quantum-gravitational Hawking mechanism, allowing observational limits to be set on their density today and on their past significance.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Carr, B. J. in Observational and Theoretical Aspects of Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology (eds Sanz, J. L. & Goicoechea, L. J.) 1–78 (World Scientific, Singapore, 1985).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Hawking, S. W. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 152, 75–78 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hawking, S. W. et al. Phys. Rev. D26, 2681–2693 (1982).

    MathSciNet  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hawking, S. W. Phys. Lett. B231, 237–239 (1989).

    Article  MathSciNet  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Polnarev, A. & Zembowicz, R. CAMK preprint 194 (1988).

  6. Hawking, S. W. Nature 248, 30–31 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Novikov, I. D. et al. Astr. Astrophys. 80, 104 (1979).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Zeldovich, Ya. B. & Starobinskii, A. A. Sov. Phys. JETP 24, 571 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hall, S. J. & Hsu, S. Berkeley preprint LBL-27982 (1989).

  10. Carr, B. J. Astr. J. 206, 8–25 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Page, D. N. & Hawking, S. W. Astrophys. J. 206, 1–7 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. MacGibbon, J. H. & Carr, B. J. Astrophys. J. 371, 447–469 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. MacGibbon, J. H. & Webber, B. R. Phys. Rev. D41, 3052–3079 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. MacGibbon, J. H. Phys. Rev. (in the press).

  15. Weekes, T. C. Phys. Rep. 160, 1–121 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Bonnet-Bidaud, J. M. & Chardin, G. Phys. Rep. 170, 325 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Protheroe, R. in Proc. 20th ICRC. Moscow, 1987, vol. 8 (ed. Kozyarivksy, V. A. et al.) (Nauka, Moscow, 1987).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Nagel, D. E., Gaisser, T. K. & Protheroe, R. J. Ann. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 38, 609–657 (1988).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Halzen, F., Protheroe, R. J., Stanev, T. & Vankov, H. P. Phys. Rev. D41, 342–346 (1990).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Halzen, F., Protheroe, R. J., Stanev, T. & Vankov, H. P. in Proc. 21st ICRC, Adelaide (ed. Protheroe, R. J.) (Adelaide University, 1990).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Page, D. N. Phys. Rev. D13, 198–206 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Page, D. N. Phys. Rev. D16, 2402–2411 (1977).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Elster, T. J. Phys. A16, 989–996 (1983).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Elster, T. Phys. Lett. A92, 205–209 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Simpkins, R. D. thesis, Pennsylvania State Univ. (1986).

  26. Oliensis, J. & Hill, C. T. Phys. Lett. B143, 92–102 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Huang, K. & Weinberg, S. Phys. Rev. Lett. 25, 895–897 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. Hagedorn, R. Nuovo Cim. LVIX, No. 4, 1027–1057 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. MacGibbon, J. H. thesis, Univ. of Cambridge (1988).

  30. Carr, B. J. Astrophys. J. 201, 1–19 (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. Hill, C. T., Schramm, D. V. & Walker, T. P. Phys. Rev. D36, 1007–1016 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Halzen, F., Stanev, T., Zas, E. & Gaisser, T. K. in Proc. 21st ICRC, Adelaide, vol. 9 (ed. Protheroe, R. J.) 142–145 (Adelaide University, 1990).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Trombka, T. I. et al. Astr. J. 212, 925 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Fichtel, C. E., Simpson, G. A. & Thompson, D. J. Astr. J. 222, 833 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Gibbs, K. J. Nucl. Instr. Meth. A264, 67–73 (1988).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  36. Gaisser, T. K., Halzen, F., Long, W., Stanev, T. & Zas, E. Phys. Rev. D43, 314 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  37. Sobel, H. Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.) A14, 125–142 (1990).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  38. Heintze, J., Lennert, P., Polenz, S. et al. Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.) A14, 148–152 (1990).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  39. Weeks, T. C. et al. Astrophys. J. 342, 379–395 (1989).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  40. Akerlof, C. W. et al. Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.) A14, 237–243 (1990).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  41. Sommers, P. & Elbert, J. in Proc. 19th ICRC, 1985, vol. 3, 457–460.

  42. Porter, N. A. & Weekes, T. C. Mon. Not. R. astrr. Soc. 183, 205–210 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  43. Akerlof, C. W. et al. in Proc. 21st ICRC, Adelaide, vol. 2 (ed. Protheroe, R. J.) 135–138 (Adelaide University, 1990).

    Google Scholar 

  44. Porter, N. A. & Weekes, T. C. Astrophys. J. 212, 224–226 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  45. Porter, N. A. & Weekes, T. C. Mon. Not. R. Astr. Soc. 183, 205–210 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  46. Porter, N. A. & Weekes, T. C. Nature 277, 199 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  47. Nolan, K., Porter, N. A., Fegan, D. J., Chantell, M. & Weekes, T. C. Proc. 21st ICRC, Adelaide, vol. 2 (ed. Protheroe, R. J.) 150 (Adelaide University, 1990).

    Google Scholar 

  48. Fegan, D. J., McBreen, B., O'Brien, D. & O'Sullivan, C. Nature 271, 731–732 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  49. Bhat, P. N. et al. Nature 284, 433–434 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  50. Porter, N. A. & Weekes, T. C. Nature 267, 500–501 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  51. O'Mongain, E. Nature 242, 136–137 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  52. Huguenin, G. R. & Moore, E. L. Astrophys. J. 187, L57–L58 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  53. Phinney, S. & Taylor, J. H. Nature 277, 117–118 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  54. Rees, M. J. Nature 266, 333–334 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  55. Jelley, J. V., Baird, G. A. & O'Mongain, E. Nature 267, 499–500 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Halzen, F., Zas, E., MacGibbon, J. et al. Gamma rays and energetic particles from primordial black holes. Nature 353, 807–815 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/353807a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/353807a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing