Physicists at RIKEN have developed a new type of dark matter detector that could finally help us directly detect this mysterious substance, which is believed to make up a whopping 85% of the universe’s mass.
Despite its prevalence, dark matter has remained elusive, never having been observed directly.
“Dark matter is very elusive,” says Javier De Miguel from the RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics (RAP).
“We’re likely being bombarded by dark matter particles every second without even noticing it.”
The hunt for dark matter is a global effort, with scientists exploring various potential candidates simultaneously.
De Miguel is optimistic about the potential breakthrough, saying, “The detection of dark matter could be one of the landmark events of this century.”
In 2021, De Miguel introduced a new type of dark matter detector, the Dark photons & Axion-Like particles Interferometer, or DALI, aimed at detecting dark matter candidates called axions.
Now in the design and prototyping stage, DALI is expected to be installed at the Teide Observatory in Tenerife within about five years.
To assess DALI’s potential, De Miguel, along with Chiko Otani from RAP and their colleagues, conducted an in-depth analysis of the detector. Their findings, published in the journal Physical Review D, are promising.
They predict that DALI will be able to explore a significant portion of the parameter space where axions might be found over 15 years of operation. The analysis also suggests that DALI could detect another dark matter candidate known as the dark photon.
One of DALI’s strengths is its ability to explore previously uncharted territory. “Previous experiments had limitations in searching for dark matter at high frequencies. DALI overcomes this by using a new strategy,” explains De Miguel. “If axions or dark photons exist in this range, we might be the first to detect them.”
The analysis also revealed ways to enhance DALI’s effectiveness, such as installing it on a steerable mount and creating an array of smaller DALI detectors. These strategies could improve the chances of detecting dark matter.
De Miguel is confident in DALI’s potential. “I believe that the DALI experiment can play a key role in the search and detection of dark matter,” he says. “Especially since it is reasonably low cost and feasible to implement.”
In conclusion, DALI represents a significant step forward in the search for dark matter.
If successful, it could help us uncover one of the greatest mysteries in modern physics and provide a deeper understanding of the universe’s fundamental nature.
