‘World’s largest, most advanced’ dark matter detector to be built by UK

Researchers in the UK have taken a major step forward toward understanding dark matter, a substance that makes up about 85% of the universe’s mass but has so far proven undetectable.

They have started work on building “the world’s largest and most advanced rare-particle detector.” This new instrument will search for dark matter particles and other new physics phenomena that have previously escaped detection.

The project is being led by Imperial College London, in collaboration with the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Boulby Underground Laboratory, which are part of the global Xenon Lux-Zeplin Darwin (XLZD) Consortium.

“To discover, or even be able to rule out the existence of dark matter, will be an enormous leap for science and transform our understanding of the cosmos,” said Professor Sean Paling, Director and Senior Scientist at the laboratory.

Unprecedented sensitivity

The proposed detector is a major leap in dark matter research. It is expected to be ten times the size of the current leading experiment, known as the LZ experiment.

This increase in size will significantly enhance the detector’s sensitivity, meaning it will be able to detect a wider range of potential dark matter particles.

A larger detector increases the likelihood of detecting the rare interactions between dark matter particles and ordinary matter.

“This will allow for a definitive search for the interactions of dark matter particles with masses above a few protons, and also for evidence of particle decays that could help explain why the universe seems to contain ordinary matter but little antimatter, and other rare phenomena that could bring evidence of new physics,” highlighted the press release.

Detector design

The detector will be an extensive underground structure, similar to a giant “thermos flask,” that will hold up to 100 tons of liquid xenon.

Scientists expect that as dark matter particles move through the Earth, they will occasionally interact with the xenon inside this detector. These interactions are expected to produce very small flashes of light.

“Tiny, but detectable, flashes of light will be generated as evidence of the presence of dark matter particles and recorded for scientists to analyze,” explained researchers in a press release .

Professor Paling is confident about the project’s potential.

“We are now closer than ever to achieving this and as long as we can come together as an international community, invest in the right instruments, and remain focussed on our search, there are potential big breakthroughs just around the corner,” he added.

Building the foundation

Though the exact location for the experiment is not determined yet, UK universities and the Boulby Underground Laboratory are laying the foundation.

A team at STFC is working on a new underground science facility at Boulby mine, which might host the XLZD detector.

This facility will be developed in two stages: first, a clean manufacturing facility at about 3600 feet (1,100 meters) depth, followed by a large laboratory hall at around 4300 feet (1,300 meters) depth to house the experiment.

Notably, the XLZD Consortium unites leading dark matter research groups to tackle the mystery of the universe’s hidden majority.