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Inside the search for dark matter

12/17/24

Ali Sundermier

About 30 years ago an "ideas guy" and a team builder joined forces to search for the invisible bulk of existence.

Diagram of the progress of a muon through the CMS detector

08/26/21

Teaching a particle detector new tricks

Scientists hoping to find new, long-lived particles at the Large Hadron Collider recently realized they may already have the detector to do it.

Still from a video showing a simulation of the formation of quark-gluon plasma

08/24/21

Can light melt atoms into goo?

The ATLAS experiment at CERN sees possible evidence of quark-gluon plasma production during collisions between photons and heavy nuclei inside the Large Hadron Collider.

Illustration: Neutrinos revealed in particle physics advent calendar with scientists eyeing another possibility

08/17/21

The search for the sterile neutrino

Back when it was theorized, scientists weren’t sure they would ever detect the neutrino; now they’re searching for a version of the particle that could be even more elusive.

Illustration of the African continent surrounded by equations

08/10/21

A collective strategy for physics in Africa

For the first time, African physicists and other researchers are creating a grassroots strategy for the future of physics research and education.

Illustration of band t-shirts of dark matter candidates

08/03/21

Drumming up dark photons

A group of scientists is hoping to detect dark matter using a nano-scale drum.

Illustration emphasizing feelings of isolation or loneliness while struggling with mental health issues

07/27/21

How to be human in physics

Four physicists share their experiences dealing with major setbacks, trauma, mental health issues and toxic work environments.

Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory above the clouds

07/20/21

Homebound astrophysicists miss mountaintops

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, travel bans and stay-at-home orders meant astrophysicists needed to find a new way to conduct their observations.

Illustration: Theory search vs. anomaly detection

07/13/21

Blink and it’s gone

Fast electronics and artificial intelligence are helping physicists capture data and decide what to keep and what to throw away.

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