Dark matter is perhaps the most vexing thing in physics. We still don't know what it is, but a new experiment made some progress.
Astronomers are getting a new tool to help them in the hunt for Dark Matter. This is a rendering of the BREAD design, which stands for Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection. The ‘Hershey’s Kiss’-shaped structure funnels potential dark matter signals to the copper-colored detector on the left. The detector is compact enough to fit on a tabletop. Image courtesy BREAD Collaboration
The word ‘mysterious’ barely describes dark matter. It constitutes about 85% of the matter in the Universe. It can’t be seen, but its presence is inferred from observations. Its mass holds galaxies together; without it, they would fly apart.David Miller, University of Chicago The BREAD experiment focuses on the mass range of 10.7–12.5 GHz. Within that range, it searches for dark photon dark matter. Along with axions, they’re one of the most promising candidates for dark matter.are a hypothetical type of particle that physicists think might act as a force carrier for dark matter like photons are force carriers for electromagnetism. Axions and dark photons are linked in the search for dark matter, but a detailed explanation is beyond the scope of this article.
Each candidate for dark matter requires a specific search. Physicists build detectors aimed at specific candidates. BREAD is a little bit different. As its name illustrates, it’s a broadband detector. It can search across a range of frequencies, though its precision suffers. Fermilab’s Stefan Knirck with components of the BREAD detector. Eventually, BREAD will be placed inside a magnet to boost the chances that dark photons will convert to photons. Image Credit: BREAD
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