Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
LUX results: Dark matter hunt nears final phase
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24733131Scientists could be nearing the final phase of the search for dark matter: the enigmatic substance thought to make up a quarter of our Universe.
The first results from a particle detector called LUX show it is the most powerful experiment of its kind.
It did not detect any dark matter during its first run, but scientists say it is poised to probe deeper than ever before during its second in 2014.
It has also ruled out earlier hints of dark matter shown by other experiments.
Dr Chamkaur Ghag, a collaborator on the LUX experiment from University College London, said: "If the dark matter is out there and if it interacts the way we think it does we should really start seeing it now."
Not finding any direct evidence for dark matter particles would mean that physicists would have to "go back to the drawing board", he added.
Missing matter
Dark matter is thought to make up 27% of the Universe. But astronomers have only been able to infer its existence through the gravitational effects it has on visible matter in the Universe; no-one has ever directly detected it.
