Massive Compact Halo Objects (MACHOs) are a class of astronomical entities that could contribute to the dark matter content of the universe. They include objects like brown dwarfs, black holes, and neutron stars, which are difficult to detect due to their faintness and non-luminous nature. MACHOs are thought to exist in the galactic halo, the region surrounding galaxies, and their gravitational influence could help explain the observed motion of stars and galaxies that cannot be accounted for by visible matter alone. However, extensive searches for MACHOs have suggested that they cannot account for all dark matter, leading to the consideration of other candidates such as Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and axions.
In 3–5 sentences, describe massive compact halo objects (MACHOs) and explain their possible connection to dark matter.(4 points)
1 answer