---
title: "Stars Are Cooling Faster Than Predicted, and Axions May Be to Blame"
description: "Physicist Maurizio Giannotti has presented his calculations positing that the anomalous cooling of stellar systems may be caused by the emission of axions."
date: "2016-08-13"
modified: "2016-08-13"
authors:
  - name: "Cecille De Jesus"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/cecille"
url: "https://futurism.com/stars-are-cooling-faster-than-predicted-and-axions-may-be-to-blame"
categories:
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "axions"
  - "international axion observatory"
  - "stars"
---

# Stars Are Cooling Faster Than Predicted, and Axions May Be to Blame

![Default Futurism featured image](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Futurism-Filler-Image.jpg>)

## Stellar Sweat

Earlier this year, physicist Maurizio Giannotti of Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida, presented his computations at the International Axion Observatory ([IAXO](<http://www.brera.inaf.it/MeetingIAXO/>)). He outlined how “practically every stellar system seems to be cooling faster than predicted by the models.”

While the IAXO’s convention highlights how axions or axion-like particles (ALPs) are a candidate for dark matter, a [previous study has eliminated ](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientist-dark-matter-information>)these particles as contenders for the enigmatic particles.

But regardless of where axions stand in the dark matter argument (we’ll leave that debate to the experts), Giannotti believes that these particles are responsible for the accelerated cooling of stars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZF9bPVOsb4

When individually observed, the difference isn’t substantial enough to notice. But collectively, the consistent pattern suggests that something peculiar is happening. Analysis of measurements in the periodic pulsation, or the dimming and brightening, of white dwarf variable stars show that all stars show excess cooling, far more than previous predictions assumed they would.

[Giannotti’s calculations](<http://www.brera.inaf.it/MeetingIAXO/Presentations/Giannotti.pdf>) posit that the anomalous cooling of stars are consistent with the emission of axions.

Light axions can be produced in stars through different processes, with the[ Sun being a major catalyst](<https://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-ph/0611350v1.pdf>). The emission of axions could lead to “an overly efficient energy drain,” since they carry energy with them as they dissipate, resulting in stellar cooling—like sweat cooling off the human body.

## Is the Math Right?

As with all other theories in astrophysics (and science in general), very few will actually make it to the books.

Giannotti is firm on the probability of his axion explanation…unless he miscalculated. Although from an outsider’s perspective, the explanation sounds well enough, [this research](<http://indico.cern.ch/event/432527/contributions/1071626/>) is likely to remain in limbo for the scientific community until either somebody finds a discrepancy in the computations, or Giannotti replicates his results consistently.

When it comes to topics involving some of the universe’s most elusive particles, it’s practically impossible to prove or disprove theories.

### Author social links  
[Facebook](<http://facebook.com/thescientress>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://ph.linkedin.com/in/cecillebautistadejesus>)