About 80 percent of the universe’s mass is thought to consist of dark matter. And yet, little is known about the composition and structure of the particles that make up dark matter, presenting physicists with some fundamental questions.
About 80 percent of the universe’s mass is thought to consist of dark matter. And yet, little is known about the composition and structure of the particles that make up dark matter, presenting physicists with some fundamental questions. To explore this elusive matter, researchers are attempting to capture photons, or light particles, which are produced when dark matter particles collide with the visible matter we are familiar with.
Most experiments to date have focused on dark matter particles with masses that more or less overlap with those of known elementary particles. If the particles are lighter than an electron, however, it is unlikely they would be detectable with the current standard, namely detectors based on liquid xenon. So far, no experiment has succeeded in directly detecting dark matter. Yet this in itself is an important finding, as it shows that dark matter particles do not exist within the mass range and interaction strength tested.
Read more at: University of Zurich
Using the improved superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD), researchers are searching for very light dark matter. (Photo Credit: UZH)
