The record
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- Scientists from 39 institutions across six countries, including two UK universities, report a possible first step toward detecting dark matter, the invisible substance thought to make up over 85% of the universe.
- Using the highly sensitive LUX-ZEPLIN detector at a laboratory nearly a mile underground in South Dakota, they observed a particle interaction that could match a dark matter candidate called a WIMP.
- The finding has a statistical significance of 2.6 sigma, well below the 5 sigma usually needed for a discovery, and has not yet been peer-reviewed.
- The researchers stress they have not confirmed dark matter and want independent scientific scrutiny before drawing conclusions.
What to watch next
- Whether the finding passes peer review and gains confirmation from independent researchers
- Whether analysis of additional data from LUX-ZEPLIN reveals more similar events
- Whether alternative known explanations for the unusual interaction are ruled out
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Named United Kingdom · United States · Japan · LUX-ZEPLIN · Brown University · Hemming Fletcher · Rick Gaitskell · Sam Ericksen · Sanford Underground Research Facility · University of Bristol · USA · US Department of Energy
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