Public lecture presented by Tom Shutt
Dark matter is one of the most mysterious components of the universe. Yet it makes up 23 percent of the mass of the universe – six times the mass of ordinary, atomic matter. Physicists have never observed dark matter particles directly, but we see their influence throughout astronomy. The gravitational pull of this hidden matter is the force that created structure in the universe, shaping galaxies and forming the distribution of clusters and voids we see in the sky. One of today’s great challenges in physics is to observe individual dark matter particles coming in from the galaxy and striking particles on Earth. This talk presents the evidence for dark matter and introduces one of the most ambitious efforts to discover interactions of dark matter particles, using tons of cryogenic liquid in a deep underground laboratory.
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
All content is © SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Downloading, displaying, using or copying of any visuals in this archive indicates your agreement to be bound by SLAC's media use guidelines.
For questions, please contact SLAC’s media relations manager:
Manuel Gnida
mgnida@slac.stanford.edu
(650) 926-2632
SLAC is a vibrant multiprogram laboratory that explores how the universe works at the biggest, smallest and fastest scales and invents powerful tools used by scientists around the globe. With research spanning particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology, materials, chemistry, bio- and energy sciences and scientific computing, we help solve real-world problems and advance the interests of the nation.
SLAC is operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
Illustration of how a single crystal sample of silicon deforms during shock compression on nanosecond timescales.
From left, SCU Physics Prof. Betty Young, Software Developer Concetta "Tina" Cartaro and Senior Staff Scientist Richard Partridge put the fourth, and final, SuperCDMS...
Illustration of how a single crystal sample of silicon deforms during shock compression on nanosecond timescales.
From left, SCU Physics Prof. Betty Young, Software Developer Concetta "Tina" Cartaro and Senior Staff Scientist Richard Partridge put the fourth, and final, SuperCDMS...
Kavli Institute for Partical Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) scientist Ralf Kaehler, at work here in the "Vizlab," and colleagues use computer visualizations to simulate...
Putting the fourth, and final, SuperCDMS tower safely back into its storage container.
