Dark matter is a theoretical type of matter that is believed to make up a large part of deep space. It is called “dark” due to the fact that it does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, and therefore can not be directly identified with telescopes or other instruments that spot electro-magnetic radiation. Its existence can be inferred through its gravitational effects on noticeable matter, such as galaxies and stars. Scientists think that dark matter might comprise about 85% of the mass in deep space, and its existence is needed to explain a number of observed phenomena, such as the rotational speeds of galaxies and the circulation of matter on a cosmic scale.
A worldwide research team has actually made significant development in the search for dark matter with using an accuracy experiment developed at the University of Bern.
Cosmological observations of the orbits of galaxies and stars have revealed that the gravitational forces acting between heavenly bodies can not be completely explained by the noticeable matter we can see. This recommends that there might be another, unknown kind of matter affecting the movements and advancement of galaxies.
In 1933, Swiss physicist and astronomer Fritz Zwicky suggested the presence of dark matter, a type of matter that is not directly noticeable however can be spotted through its gravitational effects. It is thought to comprise about 85% of the mass in deep space and includes around 5 times more mass than the noticeable matter we recognize with.
Part of the experimental apparatus in the laboratory in Bern with Ph.D. student Ivo Schulthess. Credit: F. Piegsa
Recently, following an accuracy experiment established at the Albert Einstein Center for Fundamental Physics (AEC) at the University of Bern, an international research study group succeeded in considerably narrowing the scope for the existence of dark matter With more than 100 members, the AEC is one of the leading international research companies in the field of particle physics. The findings of the group, led by Bern, have actually recently been released in the highly-regarded journal Physical Review Letters.
Dark matter is a theoretical type of matter that is believed to make up a large part of the universe. Researchers think that dark matter may make up about 85% of the mass in the universe, and its presence is necessary to discuss a number of observed phenomena, such as the rotational speeds of galaxies and the distribution of matter on a cosmic scale.
” What dark matter is actually made of is still totally uncertain,” discusses Ivo Schulthess, a Ph.D. student at the AEC and the lead author of the research study. Worldwide, increasingly sensitive experiments and approaches are being used to search for possible dark matter particles– up until now, nevertheless, without success.
“Finally addressing the concern of dark matter would give us a significant insight into the fundamentals of nature and take us a big action more detailed to a complete understanding of the universe,” discusses Piegsa.
The secret surrounding dark matter.
” What dark matter is in fact made from is still entirely unclear,” discusses Ivo Schulthess, a Ph.D. trainee at the AEC and the lead author of the research study. What is certain, however, is that it is not made from the exact same particles that make up the stars, planet Earth or us humans. Worldwide, significantly sensitive experiments and approaches are being utilized to search for possible dark matter particles– previously, however, without success.
Ivo Schulthess, a Ph.D. student at the Albert Einstein Center for Fundamental Physics (AEC), University of Bern. Credit: I. Schulthess
Certain theoretical primary particles, understood as axions, are an appealing classification of possible prospects for dark matter particles. A crucial benefit of these extremely light-weight particles is that they might at the same time explain other essential phenomena in particle physics that have actually not yet been comprehended.
The Bern experiment clarifies the darkness
” Thanks to numerous years of competence, our team has prospered in designing and developing an extremely delicate measurement device– the Beam EDM experiment,” describes Florian Piegsa, Professor for Low Energy and Precision Physics at the AEC, who was granted among the prestigious ERC Starting Grants from the European Research Council in 2016 for his research with neutrons. If the evasive axions actually exist, they must leave a particular signature in the measurement device.
” Our experiment allows us to identify the rotational frequency of neutron spins, which move through a superposition of magnetic and electrical fields,” discusses Schulthess. “We specifically measured this rotational frequency and analyzed it for the smallest regular variations which would be triggered by the interactions with the axions,” describes Piegsa.
Criterion space successfully limited
The measurements, which were brought out with researchers from France at the European Research Neutron Source at the Institute Laue-Langevin, permitted for the experimental exemption of a formerly entirely unexplored criterion space of axions. It likewise proved possible to look for theoretical axions which would be more than 1,000 times much heavier than was previously possible with other experiments.
” Although the existence of these particles stays mysterious, we have actually successfully excluded a crucial criterion space of dark matter,” concludes Schulthess. Future experiments can now develop on this work. “Finally addressing the concern of dark matter would offer us a considerable insight into the fundamentals of nature and take us a huge step better to a total understanding of deep space,” explains Piegsa.
Referral: “New Limit on Axionlike Dark Matter Using Cold Neutrons” by Ivo Schulthess, Estelle Chanel, Anastasio Fratangelo, Alexander Gottstein, Andreas Gsponer, Zachary Hodge, Ciro Pistillo, Dieter Ries, Torsten Soldner, Jacob Thorne and Florian M. Piegsa, 4 November 2022, Physical Review Letters.DOI: 10.1103/ PhysRevLett.129.191801.
The research study was funded by the European Research Council and the Swiss National Science Foundation.