In a new experiment, researchers looked for tiny flickers in the fundamental constants of nature. Via wireduk
Physics theory predicts that certain hypothesized types of dark matter interact with electrons and other particles to cause some fundamental constants to fluctuate over time. But because the team did not find any fluctuations, they can rule out dark matter particles with particular properties of a certain mass. Their results are consistent with the findings of other experiments, says Gehrlein.
In particular, Antypas’ team uses their experiment to search for a class of dark matter known as ultralight dark matter. At its heaviest, an ultralight dark matter particle is still about a trillion times lighter than an electron. According to quantum mechanics, all matter has particle-like and wave-like qualities, with larger objects typically harboring more particle-like qualities and smaller ones more wave-like qualities.
Like all other dark matter experiments so far, Antypas’ search hasn’t found anything. However, their absence of a discovery does help constrain the properties of dark matter, as the experiment shows what dark matter is not. In addition, the team’s approach is distinctive compared to better-known dark matter experiments, which search for particles known as WIMPs . Those experiments commonly involve collaborations of 100 scientists or more, and the detectors have dramatic engineering requirements.
In contrast, Antypas’ entire experiment fits on a tabletop, and his collaboration consisted of 11 scientists. Looking for dark matter was actually a side project for his lab. They usually use the equipment to study the weak nuclear force in atoms, which is responsible for radioactive decay. “This was a quick and interesting thing for us to do,” says Antypas. “We use these methods for other applications.
Over the past decade or so, these tabletop approaches have become increasingly popular for dark matter searches, says Zurek. Physicists, who first developed super-precise tools and lasers for studying and controlling single atoms and molecules, looked for more ways to use their new machines. “More people moved into the field, not as their primary discipline, but as a way of finding new creative applications for their measurements,” says Zurek.
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