Tag

Dark Matter

All articles tagged with #dark matter

science1 day ago•2 min saved

First Operational Nuclear Clocks Match Atomic Precision in Nature Papers

Researchers in Vienna and Beijing have demonstrated the first operational nuclear clocks, achieving precision comparable to state-of-the-art atomic clocks. These devices use thorium-229 embedded in calcium fluoride crystals, offering a more robust and compact alternative to current optical standards. The breakthroughs, published in Nature, enable new constraints on dark matter and lay the groundwork for future improvements in global timekeeping infrastructure.

via Financial Times|

#dark-matter #nuclear-clocks #quantum-physics

science-and-technology1 day ago•42 min saved

Thorium-229 Nuclear Clocks Achieve Standalone Operation and Dark Matter Constraints

Researchers at TU Wien and Tsinghua University have demonstrated the first operational thorium-229 nuclear clocks, which use solid-state crystals to measure time with high precision. These devices match the sensitivity of leading atomic clocks for detecting dark matter and offer a more robust, compact alternative to current optical standards.

via Nature|

#dark-matter #nuclear-clocks #optical-spectroscopy

science3 days ago•2 min saved

XENONnT Detects Solar Neutrinos at Record-Low Energies

The XENONnT experiment at Italy’s Gran Sasso National Laboratory has successfully measured solar neutrinos via elastic neutrino-electron scattering at energies as low as 17 keV. This achievement, reported in a preprint, demonstrates the detector’s capability to probe low-energy particle interactions with a five-sigma confidence level, though it does not constitute a dark matter discovery.

via Futura, le média qui explore le monde|

#dark-matter #gran-sasso #particle-physics

science13 days ago•7 min saved

Theoretical Proposal Suggests Particle Accelerators Could Generate Dark Matter Axions

A new theoretical paper proposes that accelerating atomic nuclei in particle accelerators could create pairs of axions, hypothetical particles that may constitute dark matter. Researchers Stefan Evans and Ralf Schützhold suggest that the rapid motion of nuclei in ultraperipheral heavy-ion collisions could trigger a dynamical Casimir effect, converting vacuum fluctuations into real axions. This mechanism relies on the fact that atomic nuclei alter the effective mass of axions within the quantum vacuum. While the probability of producing these particles depends heavily on their unknown mass, the study suggests existing technology might allow for experimental tests, though detection remains a significant challenge.

via ScienceAlert|

#axions #casimir-effect #dark-matter

science19 days ago•4 min saved

South Dakota Lab Hints at Potential Dark Matter Signal

Scientists at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in the Black Hills report a possible dark matter signal from the LUX-ZEPLIN detector; the team is rigorously checking the data and awaiting peer review before any claim of discovery, which would be a major breakthrough if confirmed.

via MPR News|

#dark-matter #lz-detector #sanford-underground-research-facility

space21 days ago•121 min saved

Astronomers spot 50 ghost dwarf satellites around three galaxies

Using deep VLT SMASH imaging around three distant galaxies (NGC 5068, 5084, 5087), astronomers identified about 50 faint satellite dwarf galaxies—47 candidates, with only four previously known—ranging from roughly 1 million to 1 billion solar masses and displaying diverse morphologies; the find helps address the cosmological missing-satellites problem and informs how dark matter shapes galaxy halos, with Euclid data expected to confirm them in future releases. The work by Crescenzo Tortora and colleagues was published Sept. 11 in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

via Space|

#cosmology #dark-matter #dwarf-galaxies

science23 days ago•3 min saved

Bay Area Scientists Edge Closer to First Dark Matter Signal With Underground Xenon Detector

Berkeley and LLNL researchers are part of the LZ dark matter experiment, a 10-ton liquid xenon detector buried about a mile underground in a former South Dakota mine. Analysis of roughly 220 days of data yielded one unusual xenon recoil that could hint at a dark matter interaction, but the result is only 2.6 sigma—not near the 5-sigma threshold for discovery. Scientists caution against over-interpreting a single event and will continue collecting data, with cross-checks from PandaX and XENONnT as they seek more events to strengthen the signal.

via SFist|

#dark-matter #lz-project #particle-physics

space23 days ago•10 min saved

Distant Globular-Cluster Stream Illuminates Dark-Matter Halos Beyond the Milky Way

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have identified a very narrow, ~2 kiloparsec stellar ribbon named Oyashio in the ultra-diffuse galaxy UGC 9050-Dw1, about 115 million light-years away, which likely traces a disrupted globular cluster. If confirmed, this would be the first extragalactic globular-cluster stellar stream and offers a new way to constrain the host galaxy’s dark-matter halo, though current results rely on modeling with wide uncertainties and lack full spectroscopic confirmation. The finding, supported by independent CFHT data and analyzed with a generative dynamical model (X-Stream), points toward a future where more such streams could help map gravity in distant galaxies, with upcoming missions like the Roman Space Telescope and Euclid expanding the sample.

via Space Daily|

#dark-matter #globular-cluster #hubble

science24 days ago•26 min saved

LZ underground signal sparks dark-matter speculation, awaiting confirmation

A single xenon recoil detected by the LZ Experiment a mile underground in South Dakota could be a dark-matter signal, but its 2.6-sigma significance is below the five-sigma threshold for discovery, so researchers caution against conclusions and await replication by PandaX and XENONnT; if confirmed, it would lend support to the WIMP dark-matter hypothesis and could transform our understanding of fundamental physics.

via The Mercury News|

#dark-matter #lz-project #particle-physics

science25 days ago•213 min saved

LZ Detector Teases Dark Matter Signal, Awaiting Confirmation

A global team analyzing data from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) detector reports a potential dark matter signal—the strongest hint yet but not a discovery. The event, observed in 2023, has about 2.6-sigma significance with a 0.5% chance of being caused by known background, and researchers are expanding the analysis to ~700 days of data with bias-reduction techniques. Confirmation would require ~5-sigma; independent experiments like XENONnT and PandaX-4T could verify the signal if more events appear.

via CNN|

#dark-matter #lz-experiment #particle-physics

science25 days ago•3 min saved

Physicists Split on Universe’s Biggest Questions, Survey Finds

The largest global survey of physicists reveals little consensus on core questions—from dark matter and black holes to unifying gravity with quantum mechanics and the standard ΛCDM model— with only two items reaching majority support: the Big Bang’s interpretation and cosmic inflation. Views on dark matter, gravity, and cosmology are highly divided, and DESI’s hint that dark energy may vary challenges the standard model. The authors frame this disagreement as opportunity for new data and theory, and an online dashboard lets readers explore the results.

via Science Daily|

#cosmology #dark-matter #physics

science26 days ago•5 min saved

Earth as a Giant Dark Matter Detector Reveals Signals for Axions and Dark Photons

Physicists treated Earth’s magnetic field (2012–2022 data from the British Geological Survey) as a giant detector for dark matter, finding candidate signals that could be axions or dark photons. They identified 65 axion candidates (25 after stricter filters) and up to 342 dark-photon candidates (31 after tighter criteria). A key test is whether signals vary with location: axion signals should track Earth’s magnetic field and be weaker at the poles and stronger near Southeast Asia, while dark-photon signals would not depend on the field. Current results come from a single UK observatory, so global confirmation is needed. The work is published across Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (axion studies) and Physical Review D (dark photon study).

via ScienceAlert|

#axions #dark-matter #dark-photons

science28 days ago•4 min saved

DESI data hint at a more anisotropic universe

A DESI-based analysis of the 3D map of galaxies finds higher anisotropy in the universe’s large-scale structure than predicted by dark-matter–only simulations. The study computes, for each galaxy, how likely it is to find others at various distances and directions, then averages this to gauge directional differences. The result does not imply a cosmic center, but if confirmed it could challenge the assumption of isotropy and point to new physics—such as a time-varying dark energy, revised dark matter behavior, or modified gravity. Verification with DESI DR2 and Euclid data is key as researchers stress-test the findings.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#anisotropy #cosmology #dark-matter

space29 days ago•6 min saved

Ancient proto-supercluster COSMOS-z3.1-A: a 5,000 Milky Way–mass giant from the early universe

Astronomers using deep imaging and spectroscopy identified COSMOS-z3.1-A as the earliest and most distant protocluster, seen when the Universe was about 2.1 billion years old and containing roughly 5,000 times the Milky Way’s mass. The object is a proto-supercluster that will merge into a giant cluster, with 3D mapping showing dense, clumpy subregions at the intersections of the cosmic web, illustrating bottom-up structure formation. The study, part of the ODIN survey, also highlights COSMOS-z3.1-C as another dense protocluster and anticipates evolving into masses surpassing the Coma Cluster; future surveys like the Vera Rubin Observatory’s LSST will help find more such ancient giants.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#cosmic-web #dark-matter #early-universe

science29 days ago•135 min saved

Cosmic radio bursts as maps to hidden matter in the universe

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) — brief, intense radio waves from magnetars — are being used as new probes of the universe’s matter distribution. Analysis of about 100 FRBs suggests that gas ejected by galactic feedback smooths cosmic clumpiness, helping distinguish the roles of dark matter, dark energy, and neutrinos in structure formation. Researchers say this is just the beginning, with future FRB catalogs from the Deep Synoptic Array planned for 2029 expected to vastly boost cosmology studies.

via Space|

#astrophysics #cosmology #dark-matter