Dark matter is a major mystery in modern science. Even though we can’t see it directly, we know it exists because of its effects on other objects in the cosmos. Scientists currently believe that it makes up about 85% of all the mass in the universe.
“This result is a milestone for our concept, demonstrating for the first time the power of our approach,” said Fermilab postdoctoral scholar and study lead author Stefan Knirck, who spearheaded the construction and operation of the detector. “It is great to do this kind of creative tabletop-scale science, where a small team can do everything from building the experiment.
Despite its mysterious nature, dark matter has a significant impact on modern particle physics, according to researchers.
Observations of the universe reveal the presence of a substance that exerts enough gravitational pull to affect stars and galaxies, as well as bending light. This substance, known as dark matter, has not been directly detected by any telescope or device.
Since dark matter has never been observed, its appearance and location remain unknown. According to Miller, researchers are confident in the existence of dark matter, but its actual form and whereabouts are still uncertain.
Researchers have identified multiple potential locations and forms to explore when searching for dark matter. Traditionally, the strategy involves creating detectors to meticulously investigate a specific area, such as a set of frequencies, in order to eliminate it as a possibility.
However, a group of scientists pursued a different method. Their approach is “broadband,” allowing them to explore a wider range of possibilities, although with slightly less accuracy.
Explaining their design, one of the scientists compared the search for dark matter to tuning a radio dial to find a specific station, except in this case, there are millions of frequencies to check.
“Our approach is similar to scanning through 100,000 radio stations, rather than just a few in great detail,” Miller explained.
An initial demonstration
The BREAD detector is designed to explore a specific range of possibilities. It is engineered to detect dark matter in the form of “axions” or “dark photons” – particles with incredibly small masses that could potentially be converted into a visible photon under certain conditions.
Stefan Knirck from Fermilab with parts of the BREAD detector.
As a result, BREAD comprises a metal tube that contains a curved surface designed to capture and direct the particles into a specific area for examination.
Photons are used as a light source to gather information from the experiment’s setup. The entire experiment is small enough to be held in your arms, which is unusual for these types of experiments.
In the full-scale version, BREAD will be placed inside a magnet to create a strong magnetic field, increasing the likelihood of converting dark matter particles into photons.
For the proof of concept, the team conducted the experiment without magnets. The team tested the prototype device at UChicago for around a month and examined the data.
The results are promising, showing high sensitivity in the chosen frequency, according to the scientists.
Since the results are very promising, the next step is to scale up the experiment and test it in a higher magnetic field environment.
The findings featured in the Physical Review Letters have been approved, and BREAD has been relocated to a refurbished MRI magnet at Argonne National Laboratory to collect additional data. It will eventually be housed at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, where an even more powerful magnet will be used.
Sonnenschein stated, “This is only the initial phase of a series of thrilling experiments that we have in the pipeline. We have numerous concepts for enhancing the sensitivity of our axion search.”
Miller added, “There are still numerous unanswered questions in the field of science, and there is a vast opportunity for innovative new concepts to address those questions. I believe this is a prime example of that.”The article discusses the importance of impactful and collaborative partnerships between smaller-scale science at universities and larger-scale science at national laboratories. The BREAD instrument was created at Fermilab and operated at UChicago, where the data for the study was collected. Gabe Hoshino, a UChicago Ph.D graduate student, led the operation of the detector, along with undergraduate students Alex Lapuente and Mira Littmann. Argonne National Laboratory will play a crucial role in the next stage of the BREAD physics program by utilizing its magnet facility.Several institutions, such as SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Illinois Institute of Technology, MIT, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the University of Washington, Caltech, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, are collaborating with UChicago and Fermilab on research and development for future versions of the experiment. The funding for this project comes from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, University of Chicago Joint Task Force Initiative, Cambridge Junior Research Fellowship, and Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology Porat Fellowship. The journal reference for this work is currently unavailable.
First Results from a Broadband Search for Dark Photon Dark Matter in the 44 to 52 μeV Range with a Coaxial Dish Antenna
Stefan Knirck, Gabe Hoshino, Mohamed H. Awida, Gustavo I. Cancelo, Martin Di Federico, Benjamin Knepper, Alex Lapuente, Mira Littmann, David W. Miller, Donald V. Mitchell, Derrick Rodriguez, Mark K. Ruschman, Matthew A. Sawtell, Leandro Stefanazzi, Andrew Sonnenschein, Gary W. Teafoe, Daniel Bowring, G. Carosi, Aaron Chou, Clarence L. Chang, Kristin Dona, Rakshya Khatiwada, Noah A. Kurinsky, Jesse Liu, Cristián Pena, Chiara P. Salemi, Christina W. Wang, Jialin Yu.
This study presents the first results from a wide-ranging search for dark photon dark matter in the 44 to 52 μeV range using a coaxial dish antenna. The research team includes a diverse group of scientists, bringing together a wide range of expertise and perspectives.
The study marks an important step towards understanding and potentially detecting dark matter in this energy range. The use of a coaxial dish antenna opens up new possibilities for detection and investigation.
These initial findings provide a foundation for further research and exploration into the nature of dark photon dark matter, and the potential implications for our understanding of the universe.
The article titled “rs, 2024; 132 (13)” can be found in the PhysRevLett journal, with a DOI link for reference.