on the research effort to decipher the essence and properties of dark matter, by measuring interactions between it and other matter particles
The mysterious substance that we call "dark matter" is, apparently, a new type of substance that has not yet been discovered, which consists of unknown particles that are around us, everywhere and at any given moment.
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies elementary particles and the reactions and forces acting between them. The elementary particles are the building blocks of matter (which are not composed of other particles) - including electrons, quarks, photons and gluons - and there are interactions between them (such as mutual action, the force they exert on each other or an energetic collision between them). Through them you can discover new information about the world around us and the materials that make it up. Many elementary particles do not appear in normal situations in nature but can be created and discovered during energetic collisions of other particles, as happens, for example, in particle accelerators.
Prof. Yonit Hochberg from the Rakah Institute of Physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is a theoretical physicist in the field of particle physics. Theoretical physicists use theoretical and mathematical tools to describe natural physical systems and provide predictions about their behavior that can be tested through experiments and observations. Prof. Hochberg says that "in particle physics we ask basic questions about nature, what elementary particles it is made of, and how they interact with each other. In addition, we are trying to understand how the universe, the galaxies and the stars were created, to decipher the cosmological history, up to the big bang."
To answer these questions, the researchers mainly rely on the standard model of particle physics - which describes all 17 elementary particles we know. However, Prof. Hochberg says, "On the one hand, the model is incredibly accurate. On the other hand we know that there are many particles and substances that the model does not describe, that we have signs and hints of their existence. For example, we know that the universe has five times as much dark matter, compared to the amount of normal matter (the elementary particles), that we know; And the standard model does not describe it at all. This state of affairs suggests that the standard model is, apparently, only the tip of the iceberg for describing the world."
Dark matter is a hypothetical substance in physics, which cannot be seen. Many researchers assume that it exists, based on its effects on gravity, which among other things are expressed in the movement of stars. "We know from observations and measurements of the cosmic background radiation, the movement of stars in galaxies and the interference of light in space, that there is a gravitational force that is probably exerted by dark matter. It seems that this material is essential for the evolution of the universe and that it plays a central role in the formation of galaxies and stars. That is, the dark matter is around us all the time, you can't see it but you can feel it. Therefore, we try to trace its identity - what are the particles that make it up, their properties and the way in which they communicate with each other and with the elementary particles", explains Prof. Hochberg.
Prof. Hochberg offers ideas that will contribute to deciphering the nature and properties of dark matter, including measuring interactions between it and other particles, that is, measuring energy that will cause it to be revealed. In her latest research supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, she suggested that materials such as silicon and diamonds, which are composed of electrons, may help with this. According to her, "the dark matter moves between us all the time, and if it is light - its movement can be felt following the displacement of light matter. If in an experiment that tests materials such as silicon and diamonds, the detector senses a particle collision - we will know that the electrons have collided with the dark matter. Most experiments today will look for dark matter in the heavy mass range. I am trying to open a window for new experiments that will look for it in a variety of mass ranges - for example in a light mass similar to an electron rather than a proton. If we look for dark matter in only one mass field, it is not certain that we will be able to discover it."
Prof. Hochberg proposes to create a detector of superconducting nanowires, weighing a billionth of a gram. Such a detector will be sensitive to small energies and therefore will be able to sense an interaction with light dark matter,
In addition, Prof. Hochberg proposes to create a detector of superconducting nanowires, weighing a billionth of a gram. "Superconductors are sensitive to small energies and therefore can sense an interaction with light dark matter," she says. "Another advantage is inherent in the fact that their noise level is low - they react less to other particles in the environment and will be activated in a collision with the dark matter."
Some of the experiments based on these ideas have already started and are in advanced stages. "I am in close contact with experimental physicists and offer them materials with a high sensitivity to dark matter in order to increase as much as possible the chance that it will be discovered. It is possible that this way we will be able to discover it in the field of essays that no one has yet explored", concludes Prof. Hochberg.
Life itself:
Prof. Yonit Hochberg, married (to a physicist) + two children (3, 5), grew up in Jerusalem and still lives there today. Loves to travel, read and play with the children and loves alligators.
More of the topic in Hayadan:
- Across Time and Space: A Mysterious Star's Epic Journey to the Center of the Milky Way
- Astronomers discover powerful fast radio bursts impaling nearby galaxies and help find dark matter
- New research suggests that dark matter may be made of dark photons
- Dark matter: Should we be so sure it exists? This is how philosophy can help
- Cern CEO Rolf Hoyer: My dream is to find the first particle of dark matter. First article following a tour of the Cern facilities
