Pandorites

Pandorites are a hypothetical class of exotic matter that could exist in the universe. The term was coined by physicist Lisa Randall in her work on theories of extra dimensions. Pandorites are proposed to be a form of dark matter that interacts with ordinary matter only through gravity. This means they would not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making them invisible to telescopes.

The concept of pandorites arises from certain models that suggest the existence of additional spatial dimensions beyond the three we perceive. In these models, our universe might be confined to a "brane" or membrane, with other branes existing in a higher-dimensional space. Pandorites could be particles that reside on these other branes or are a fundamental component of the bulk space itself.

The primary characteristic distinguishing pandorites from other dark matter candidates is their potential interaction with our brane. While they primarily interact gravitationally, some theoretical frameworks allow for a very weak, indirect interaction with standard model particles. This interaction is so feeble that it would be extremely difficult to detect experimentally.

The existence of pandorites is purely theoretical and has not been confirmed by any observational evidence. However, they represent one avenue of exploration in the ongoing quest to understand the nature of dark matter, which is estimated to make up about 85% of the matter in the universe. Research into pandorites and similar concepts continues to push the boundaries of theoretical physics and cosmology.