The search for dark matter

The search for dark matter

Subject: Science & Tech.

Context:

A next-generation dark matter detector has started operations, already delivering its first results, which show it to be the most sensitive machine of this type on Earth

What is LUX-ZEPLIN experiment?

The LUX-ZEPLIN detector is set up to specifically search for a hypothesized type of dark matter called weakly interacting massive particles, or WIMPs

These particles are expected to collide with matter very rarely and interact extremely weakly when they do.

No dark matter particles have currently been directly detected, but the hope is that the LZ detector could change that by detecting the faint interactions of these mysterious particles with xenon atoms

This requires a sensitive detector with all possible noise that could interfere with detection eliminated.

The LZ experiment’s xenon is in two nested titanium tanks containing ten tons of the elements in its liquid state.

These tanks are monitored by two photo multiplier tube (PMT) arrays which are poised to detect faint sources of light

It is Located deep below the Black Hills of South Dakota, US. The underground location of the dark matter detector helps protect it from high-energy protons and atomic nuclei that move through space at nearly the speed of light

What is Dark Matter?

Dark matter makes up around 85% of the matter in the known universe, but because it doesn’t interact with light it is practically invisible.

Likewise, whatever the constituent particles of dark matter are, they don’t interact strongly with other matter either.

The only way scientists can infer the presence of dark matter is via its gravitational influence which literally holds together most galaxies, preventing their constituent stars from flying apart as they spin.

Dark matter isn’t made up of protons and neutrons like the everyday matter