Hot Diamonds and Dark Matter
It is often a surprise to many researchers to learn that some aggregates of hot matter do not glow! Most scientists and engineers have been taught that a hot solid at temperature T radiates photons with a frequency distribution approximated by Planck's famous formula of Black Body Radiation. The Planck frequency distribution is determined essentially by the temperature, T, and is more or less independent of size and shape of the aggregate. This latter characteristic is a strong indication that the phenomena of Planck radiation is of topological, rather than geometrical, origin.

If a perfect diamond is placed within a small crucible-basket furnace constructed of Tungsten wire ( in vacuum ), and the wire is raised to a temperature of say T = 1200 C, then the Tungsten wire glows intensely (it is "white hot"). However, the diamond within and in contact with Tungsten crucible does not glow at all!!!

The diamond crystal is an example of Hot Dark matter.

If an imperfect diamond (with internal lattice impurities) is placed in the tungsten wire crucible, then radiation from the localized diamond imperfections can be observed. The diamond is hot indeed.

The perfect diamond lattice, even at atmospheric pressures, has a very high DeBye temperature (~1850-2200 kelvin) and a very large band gap (~ 5-7 ev). For temperatures below the DeBye temperature, radiative electronic excitations - that require a relative displacement between the center of mass and the center of charge - do not occur. Sound can distribute the thermal heat energy within the diamond lattice, but electronic excitations do not. The diamond and other structures with a high DeBye temperature, such as sapphire, make excellent thermal conductors of heat.

But now suppose that very large mass aggregates, under the influence of very strong gravitational fields and their attendent high pressures, have properties similar to that of the diamond lattice. Indeed, as pressure increases it is known that the DeBye temperature of diamonds increases. Then such gravitationally collapsed carbon structures, even though they may be hot, would not be seen, for in effect they do not radiate. Question: Are there massive (carbon?) star stuctures in the Galaxy that are hot, but do not glow. Are such "diamond stars", which do not radiate, the source of dark matter and/or what might appear to be "black holes"?



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Last update 01/23/2009
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