Chinese scientists unlock possible key to dark matter after almost 90 years
Researchers have made the first direct observation of a quantum phenomenon known as the Migdal effect
Chinese scientists have made the first direct observation of a quantum effect that was proposed almost 90 years ago and could help detect dark matter, the universe’s invisible “glue”.
Soviet physicist Arkady Migdal developed a theory in Leningrad in 1939 about what would happen when a neutral particle – such as dark matter – collided with an atomic nucleus.
Migdal believed that the collision would cause the nucleus to recoil and trigger a secondary electronic recoil, generating a detectable signal.
But for 87 years it remained purely theoretical until the team led by researchers from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) directly observed the Migdal effect using cutting-edge equipment.
“Dark matter, an invisible yet gravitationally interacting component of the universe, remains one of the most profound unsolved mysteries in modern physics,” the team wrote in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature on Wednesday.
The team said theoretical discussions of the Migdal effect in relation to dark matter detection dated back to the mid-2000s.