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Aug 22 15 7:40 PM
Only about 5% of the universe consists of ordinary matter such as protons and electrons, with the rest being filled with mysterious substances known as dark matter and dark energy. So far, scientists have failed to detect these elusive materials, despite spending decades searching for them. But now, two new studies may be able to turn things around as they have narrowed down the search significantly. Dark matter was first proposed more than 70 years ago to explain why the force of gravity in galaxy clusters is so much stronger than expected. If the clusters contained only the stars and gas we observe, their gravity should be much weaker, leading scientists to assume there is some sort of matter hidden there that we can’t see. Such dark matter would provide additional mass to these large structures, increasing their gravitational pull. The main contender for the substance is a type of hypothetical particle known as a “weakly interacting massive particle” (WIMP). To probe the nature of dark matter, physicists look for evidence of its interactions beyond gravity. If the WIMP hypothesis is correct, dark matter particles could be detected through their scattering off atomic nuclei or electrons on Earth. In such “direct” detection experiments, a WIMP collision would cause these charged particles to recoil, producing light that we can observe. MORE:Revealed for the First Time: Map Sheds Light on Dark Matter That Binds the Universe TogetherHow Can Dark Matter Cause Chaos on Earth Every 30 Million Years? One of the main direct detection experiments in operation today is XENON100, which has just reported its latest results. The detector is located deep underground to reduce interference from cosmic rays, at the Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy. It consists of a 165kg container of liquid xenon, which is highly purified to minimise contamination. The detector material is surrounded by arrays of photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) to capture the light from potential WIMP interactions.
Only about 5% of the universe consists of ordinary matter such as protons and electrons, with the rest being filled with mysterious substances known as dark matter and dark energy. So far, scientists have failed to detect these elusive materials, despite spending decades searching for them. But now, two new studies may be able to turn things around as they have narrowed down the search significantly.
Dark matter was first proposed more than 70 years ago to explain why the force of gravity in galaxy clusters is so much stronger than expected. If the clusters contained only the stars and gas we observe, their gravity should be much weaker, leading scientists to assume there is some sort of matter hidden there that we can’t see. Such dark matter would provide additional mass to these large structures, increasing their gravitational pull. The main contender for the substance is a type of hypothetical particle known as a “weakly interacting massive particle” (WIMP).
To probe the nature of dark matter, physicists look for evidence of its interactions beyond gravity. If the WIMP hypothesis is correct, dark matter particles could be detected through their scattering off atomic nuclei or electrons on Earth. In such “direct” detection experiments, a WIMP collision would cause these charged particles to recoil, producing light that we can observe.
One of the main direct detection experiments in operation today is XENON100, which has just reported its latest results. The detector is located deep underground to reduce interference from cosmic rays, at the Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy. It consists of a 165kg container of liquid xenon, which is highly purified to minimise contamination. The detector material is surrounded by arrays of photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) to capture the light from potential WIMP interactions.
Read more @ http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1726657-the-search-for-dark-matter-and-dark-energy-just-got-interesting/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
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