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Abstract

Theoretical models suggest that a large part of our universe is made up of dark matter - this has not yet been directly observed but the existence of dark matter is inferred from its gravitational effects such as the rotation of galaxies. Currently researchers work on directly detecting these particles instead of just predicting them theoretically. In this video MANFRED LINDNER describes the detector used by the team of the XENON Dark Matter Project: Essentially, it is a vessel filled with liquefied xenon and equipped with highly sensitive light sensors. When a particle enters the detector, it will generate light pulses which enable the researchers to pinpoint the exact location of the interaction as well as the type of particle. The high sensitivity of the instrument requires that extreme care is taken to eliminate any background signals.