According to most scientists, we only see a fraction of the universe – about five percent, to be more precise. The stars, planets, gas clouds and even black holes that we observe are just a small part of what is out there. The rest is called dark matter.
Patrick Huber, a physicist with a penchant for bold ideas, leads a team trying to find the missing 95 percent.
Instead of using enormous telescopes or particle accelerators, they look for this dark matter in billion-year-old rocks here on Earth.
Based on Virginia TechHuber and his collaborators are on an unconventional quest to detect dark matter by examining ancient minerals deep within the Earth.
They’re building a new laboratory to test their theories, backed by significant funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA).
The dark matter mystery
Dark matter is a mysterious substance that does not emit or absorb light, making it invisible to traditional instruments.
Most scientists believe it exists because galaxies rotate faster than they should, based on visible matter alone. Something invisible must provide the extra gravity.
For decades, researchers have tried to glimpse dark matter by setting up experiments deep underground to shield it from cosmic rays.
But so far these efforts have yielded no results concrete evidence. Huber’s team flips the script by looking at Earth’s history for signs of dark matter interactions.
Why not try something new?
“It’s crazy. When I first heard about this idea, I thought, this is crazy. I want to do it,” Huber said.
He steps out of his comfort zone as a theoretical physicist and focuses on experimental work. “Other people in their midlife crisis might take a mistress or buy a sports car. I have a laboratory,” he joked.
The concept is to probe the crystal structures of ancient rocks for small distortions caused by collisions with dark matter particles atomic nuclei.
Over billions of years, these rare events may have left subtle traces that advanced imaging techniques can detect.
Traces of dark matter hidden in rocks
“When a high-energy particle bounces off a nucleus in a rock, it can knock it out of place,” explains Vsevolod Ivanov, a researcher working with Huber.
“We take a crystal that has been exposed to different particles for millions of years and subtract the distributions that correspond to things we do know. What remains must be something new, and that could be dark matter.”
One of the challenges is distinguishing these potential dark matter signals from the background noise of natural radioactivity.
Robert Bodnar, a university professor and expert in geochemistry, helps the team identify the best minerals to study – minerals that are protected from both cosmic rays and the radioactive emissions from the Earth itself.
Advanced imaging techniques
To visualize this minor disruptionsthe team uses the latest imaging technology derived from microbiology.
Employees of the University of Zurich Brain Research Institute have provided access to equipment typically used to map neural pathways in animals.
They have started generating 3D images of particle tracks in synthetic lithium fluoride crystals.
Although these artificial crystals are not suitable for detecting dark matter, they serve as a testing ground to refine imaging techniques without damaging precious natural samples.
Byproducts of the hunt for dark matter
In an unexpected twist, the methods developed for this project could have immediate applications.
“We see potential for creating wearable monitoring devices nuclear reactors,” Huber noted. These “nuclear transparency tools” could improve safety and security measures.
The interdisciplinary nature of the team is one of its strengths. By combining physics, geology and advanced imaging, they break down traditional barriers between fields.
“This kind of collaboration is where new discoveries happen,” says Huber.
The new laboratory being built in Robeson Hall is a hub for innovation. With $3.5 million from the National Science Foundation and another $750,000 from the National Nuclear Security Administration, the project has sufficient resources to achieve its ambitious goals.
What happens next?
While the hunt for dark matter the primary focusthe team is open to wherever the research takes them.
“Science doesn’t always give you what you expect,” Huber noted. “Sometimes you want to answer one question and end up discovering something completely different.”
If successful, this approach could revolutionize our understanding of the universe.
Find evidence of dark matter interactions in ancient rocks would not only confirm its existence but also open new avenues for studying its properties.
Dark matter in Earth’s rocks? Why not?
It’s a big ask, but Huber and his team are undeterred. “We are venturing into the unknown,” he said. “But that’s where the most exciting discoveries are made.”
In short: Patrick Huber and his team are taking a wild approach to one of physics’ greatest mysteries by digging into ancient rocks.
They hope that by examining these billion-year-old minerals they can spot tiny disturbances caused by dark matter particles interacting with atomic nuclei – something no one else has managed to do yet.
Using a mix of physics, geology and some fancy imaging technology, they hope that taking the road less traveled can open doors to unexpected applications like portable nuclear monitoring equipment.
As they begin to crack open Earth’s rocks in hopes of solving one of the greatest remaining scientific mysteries, they can’t help but root themselves on it.
Maybe, just maybe, the secrets of the universe have been under our feet all along.
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