A recent exploration of dark matter yielded no results, yet the endeavor established crucial constraints to guide future experiments in pinpointing this mysterious substance. While astronomers widely posit dark matter as constituting 85% of the universe's mass, its composition remains unidentified despite its proposed role in explaining gravitational anomalies in galaxies and clusters.
WIMPs Elude Detection and Prompts Scientists To Explore Bold Alternatives
The primary suspect in the quest for dark matter has long been Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), theoretical particles that supposedly exhibit minimal interaction with normal matter, except through gravity.
Despite high expectations, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's most powerful particle accelerator, has not yielded evidence supporting the existence of WIMPs. This absence of confirmation has spurred scientists to delve into alternative theories to unravel the enigma of dark matter.
In light of the inconclusive search for WIMPs, researchers are actively exploring novel theories to comprehend the elusive substance. Deepak Kar, a physics professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, explained in a news release that the absence of WIMP evidence has prompted a realization that the pursuit of dark matter necessitates a fundamental shift in approach.
Consequently, scientists are investigating alternative models proposing strong interactions between dark matter and specific particles within the Standard Model, a comprehensive framework in particle physics describing known particles and their interactions.
These alternative models challenge the conventional notion of weakly interacting dark matter, suggesting instead that dark matter may engage in robust interactions with particles outlined in the Standard Model.
Some models propose the existence of a diverse array of theoretical particles, starting with fundamental entities like "dark quarks" and "dark gluons," analogous to the quarks and gluons present in visible matter as described by the Standard Model.
This paradigm shift opens up new possibilities and avenues for understanding the mysterious nature of dark matter, ushering in a new era of exploration in the realm of particle physics.
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Innovative Method Probe Dark Quarks and Gluons at LHC
In their study, titled "Search for non-resonant production of semi-visible jets using Run 2 data in ATLASSearch for non-resonant production of semi-visible jets using Run 2 data in ATLAS" published in Physics Letters B, researchers detailed a new method they used to detect dark quarks and dark gluons within the high-energy collisions of protons in LHC.
In these collisions, protons break into quarks and gluons, forming particle showers known as "jets." Researchers proposed the concept of "semi-visible" jets, where dark quarks and gluons could decay alongside ordinary particles, resulting in an energy imbalance when one normal jet and one semi-visible jet occur together.
Leading a search with the LHC's ATLAS experiment, Kar and Sinha investigated energy imbalances as potential indicators of semi-visible jets. While their analysis revealed no evidence for such jets, the absence of detection does not rule out their existence.
The careful examination of ATLAS data provided upper limits on the properties of these theoretical dark particles, offering valuable insights for fine-tuning future experiments in the quest for dark matter components. The findings also contribute crucial constraints that guide ongoing investigations and provide a foundation for refining the search for elusive dark quarks and gluons.
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