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Isocurvature constraints on dark matter from evaporated primordial black holes

Gabriele Franciolini1,2,* and Davide Racco3,4,5,†

  • *Contact author: gabriele.franciolini@unipd.it
  • †Contact author: davide.racco@uniroma3.it
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Phys. Rev. D 113, 123505 – Published 3 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/xjvh-tpjw

Abstract

We revisit the scenario in which stable particles of a dark sector are produced through the complete evaporation of light primordial black holes (PBHs) formed in the early Universe. We investigate in detail the role of isocurvature perturbations that may arise in this framework. PBHs inherit Poisson fluctuations on unobservable small scales at formation; however, in the presence of primordial non-Gaussianity that couples long- and short-wavelength modes, these fluctuations can source isocurvature perturbations on cosmological scales. Such perturbations are unavoidably transferred to the dark sector particles emitted via Hawking evaporation. We highlight the potential impact of isocurvature constraints on dark sector particles produced through PBH evaporation. Along the way, we reassess the constraints on this scenario arising from the overproduction of dark matter (DM), accounting for both PBH evaporation and gravitational production (freeze-in) during (after) inflation, as well as bounds from warm DM and the overproduction of scalar-induced gravitational waves.

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Phys. Rev. D 113, 123505– Published 3 June, 2026
  • Received 11 March 2026
  • Accepted 1 May 2026
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