Recent studies conducted using a large adron collider (BAC) have not detected any traces of dark matter, but they have provided important insights that will aid in further experiments. Dark matter is believed to make up about 85% of the mass of the universe and can potentially explain the peculiar gravitational behavior of galaxies and clusters. However, its composition still remains a mystery.
Prior to this, weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) were considered the primary candidates for dark matter. However, the studies conducted at the collider did not confirm their existence, prompting scientists to explore alternative theories.
Professor Dipak Kari and his former student Sinch, from Vitvatersrand University in Johannesburg and the University of Manchester respectively, have developed a novel method for searching for potential “dark quarks” and “dark gluna”. They propose that dark matter may interact with the well-known particles of the standard model of elementary particle physics.
Within the collider, high-speed collisions between protons produce streams of short-lived subatomic particles known as jets. Kari and Sinch suggest that these jets may also contain dark particles, resulting in inconsistent energy measurements due to the presence of invisible dark matter.
While their study using the ATLAS experiment at the collider did not find any evidence of “half-visible” jets, it did establish upper limits for the properties of theoretical dark particles. This will enable more precise configurations for future experiments in the search for dark matter.
The results of their study have been published in the journal Physics Letts B. This research represents a significant step towards understanding the nature of dark matter, although much more remains to be discovered in forthcoming experiments.