Scientists make possible breakthrough in hunt for dark matter
Scientists at the Sanford Underground Research Facility have observed potential evidence of WIMPs, a hypothesized particle that could explain dark matter. While not a definitive detection, the experiment marks a significant step in understanding the invisible mass that makes up most of the universe.
Why it matters
Confirming the existence of dark matter would fundamentally change our understanding of physics and the composition of the universe.
The LUX-ZEPLIN dark matter experiment main detector in a surface lab before installation underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, in this undated handout photo. Matthew Kapust/Sanford Undergrou/Reuters
Scientists have made a possible breakthrough in the hunt for dark matter – observing hints of it during an experiment about a 1.6 kilometres underground in South Dakota – though they stopped short of saying they have finally detected this elusive cosmic component.
The researchers described a particle interaction documented at the Sanford Underground Research Facility – built in a former gold mine in the state’s Black Hills region – that may have involved a hypothesized particle called a WIMP, short for “weakly interacting massive particle.” This is one of the proposed candidates for being a dark matter particle.
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