Two experiments looking for the whisper of a particle that prevents the entire galaxy from flying away have recently published some contradictory results. One came out empty-handed, and the other gives you all the reasons to keep searching.
dark Bosons are Dark matter It is actually a candidate based on particles that transmit forces that do not exert much force.
Unlike bosons that we know better, like photons that bind molecules and gluons that bind atomic nuclei together, the exchange of dark bosons has little effect on the surrounding environment.
On the other hand, if they exist, their collective energy may be responsible for making up dark matter. The lost mass that provides the extra gravity needed to keep our stellar universe in a familiar form.
Unfortunately, the presence of such bosons will be as detectable as the murmurs in a storm. But for a physicist, given the right kind of experimentation, the noise can still be enough to stand out.
Two studies led by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and two studies led by Aarhus University in Denmark, examined the subtle differences in the position of electrons in isotopes that jump between energy levels. If it shook, this could be an obvious sign of the dark Boson’s nudge.
Theoretically, the boson comes from the interaction between the orbiting electron and the quarks that make up the neutron in the nucleus.
The team led by MIT used a small number of isotopes of ytterbium for the experiment, and calcium was a factor of choice by a group led by the University of Aarhus.
Both experiments sorted the data on specific plot types that measure this kind of motion in isotopes. Although the calcium-based experiment appeared as expected, the ytterbium plot was off and there was a statistically significant deviation in the linearity of the plot.
This is not the cause of any kind of celebration. First of all, boson can explain the number, but there may be a difference in the way you perform the calculations, this type of correction is called quadratic field shift.
You also need to explain exactly why you found something strange in one experiment and nothing in the other.
As always, we need more data. Much more. But figuring out exactly what makes up more than a quarter of the universe is one of the biggest questions in science, so every potential lead will be pursued with excitement.
Particles that transmit a new kind of force Standard model It’s not exactly ruled out in physics, but finding one is tremendous.
Last year, physicists were excited about particles moving at odd angles, alluding to a hitherto unknown force.
Similarly, the number of rebounding electrons in the XENON1T dark matter setup shook its tongue earlier this year, sparking speculation about a hypothetical dark matter candidate. Called axion.
While this result is interesting, we’ve broken our hearts before. In 2016, the dark matter candidate type was Madala Boson Was Rumors of discovery Among the data collected by the Large Hadron Collider to find Higgs particles.
This particle can be thought of as a kind of dark version of Higgs Boson, and dark matter lends its power without being clearly revealed in other ways.
CERN throws cold water Sad to say about that little gossip. This does not mean that such particles do not exist or that the signal is not tempting. It’s just that we really can’t confirm with some degree of confidence.
Larger colliderA clever new way of searching for subtle nudges and whispers of particles, more sensitive equipment, and almost non-existent, may one day get the answers we need.
Dark matter certainly won’t make it easier.
