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Dark matter RSS feed

One of modern science’s biggest mysteries is dark matter, an invisible form of matter that shapes galaxy rotation and bends rays of light. No one knows what dark matter is, but scientists are carrying out a number of experiments to learn more.

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Physics of the universe
Astrophysics and cosmology

Formation of dark matter structures.

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Two dark matter hunters with decades of experience between them are turning SLAC into their base of operations for LZ, the next big dark...

Photo - Dark matter hunters Thomas Shutt (l) and Daniel Akerib.
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The Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel’s report, released today, recommends a strategic path forward for US particle physics.

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The Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel’s recommendations will set the course for the future of particle physics in the United States.

Snomass 2013 Opening
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Scientists say collisions between dark matter particles might be the cause of a curious excess of gamma-ray light coming from the center of our...

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Two scientists at Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory made key contributions to the discovery of the first direct evidence for cosmic inflation...

Image - The BICEP2 detector shown in this electron-beam micrograph works by converting the light from the cosmic microwave background into heat. A titanium film tuned on its transition to a superconducting state makes a sensitive thermometer.
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In a newly announced result from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search experiment, scientists have placed a more stringent limit on "light," or low-mass, dark...

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Teachers are using Google+ to bring their classes behind the scenes at national laboratories and to teach students about careers in STEM.

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SLAC's Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) recently hosted many of the top scientists in the field to discuss the most important...

KIPAC mosaic
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VIA Symmetry Magazine

Mock Data, Real Science

In scientific circles, “mock” is not always a four-letter word. To test that they’re interpreting their massive amounts of data correctly, astrophysicists create even...

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On June 11, 2008, what was then the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope rode a Delta II rocket into low-Earth orbit. After two months...

Photo - The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope launches June 11, 2008
Public Lecture Poster
The Dark Side of the Universe
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Theorists from the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology are helping dark matter sleuths decide where to start their search.

KIPAC theorists (l to r) Louis Strigari, Risa Wechsler and Yao-Yuan Mao discussing dark matter velocity distributions. (Credit: Luis Fernandez.)