Physics

Bernard Carr, Antonio J. Iovino, Gabriele Perna, Ville Vaskonen, Hardi Veermäe

2026.1.9RIVISTA DEL NUOVO CIMENTO

DOI: 10.1007/s40766-026-00080-z

Abstract

Primordial black holes (PBHs) may have formed in the early Universe and may account for all or part of the dark matter. In this review, we summarize the current observational constraints on PBHs across the full mass range, highlight potential evidence for their existence, and outline the prospects for future searches, particularly with gravitational-wave observatories. We also discuss different PBH formation scenarios, identify the corresponding mass functions, and present the observational constraints in each case.

Citation format

CARR, Bernard, et al. Primordial black holes: Constraints, potential evidence and prospects [preprint]. arXiv, 2026. arXiv:2601.06024.