Scientists get close to discovering dark matter

Scientists searching for dark matter have detected a particle interaction that could be one of the strongest clues yet to the nature of the invisible material, although researchers stress that the finding does not amount to a discovery.

The unusual event was recorded by the LUX-ZEPLIN, or LZ, experiment almost a mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota.

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LZ uses about 10 tonnes of ultrapure liquid xenon to search for weakly interacting massive particles, or WIMPs, one of the leading theoretical candidates for dark matter. Researchers recorded a single interaction that has so far proved difficult to explain using known background processes.

The LZ collaboration reported a global statistical significance of 2.6 sigma after accounting for the “look-elsewhere” effect — well below the level required to claim a discovery.

Dark matter is thought to account for roughly 85% of the universe’s matter. It cannot be seen directly but is inferred from its gravitational influence on galaxies and other cosmic structures.

Researchers will continue collecting data to determine whether the signal strengthens or disappears as more observations are made.