An astronomical telescope for dark matter

The discovery of the axis marks an important chapter in the history of science. This imaginary particle can simultaneously solve two fundamental problems of modern physics: charge and equality in strong interactions and the mystery of the dark matter. Despite the great scientific interest in his research, high radio frequencies – above 6 GHz – were almost avoided due to the lack of highly sensitive technology that could be configured at a reasonable cost. So far.

The Institute de Astrophysica de Canarias (IAC) is involved in an international collaboration to develop Dolly (Dark photons and Print-Like a particle interferometer), An astronomical telescope for dark matter, whose scientific goal is to search for axes and paraphotons in the 6 to 60 GHz band. The prototype, proof of concept, is currently in the design and production phase of IAC. The White paper The description of the experiment was published Journal of Cosmology and Astrobardial Physics (JCAP).

Predicted theoretically in the 1970s, the axis is an imaginary low-mass particle that reacts weakly with stable particles such as nucleons and electrons and photons. These proposed interactions will be studied to capture oxygen with a variety of tools. Studying the interactions of axes with static photons is a promising technique.

In particle detectors the axes mix with photons under the influence of a strong external magnetic field, such as those created by superconducting magnets or for clinical diagnosis by magnetic resonance, and generate a weak radio signal or weak microwave. This signal has been requested in many experiments since the late 1980s, and it is precisely the signal that we now want to capture with Dolly, although there are new, almost unexplored parameters that are accessible for the first time. Thanks for the experience. ”

The first mold inventors, made in the 1980s and 1990s, used a vibrating cavity inside a super magnet that amplified the weak microwave signal predicted by the axis and sought to bring it within the range of power detected by scientific instruments. Unfortunately, the size of the cavity was inversely proportional to the sample frequency, and the pits for the axis were too small for frequencies above 6 GHz.

For this reason, the new test combines the most promising radio frequency scanning techniques and encapsulates them in a practical design, adding the ability of astrobardial detectors to print dark matter. In this way, Dolly includes a powerful superconducting magnet, an axial detector with a new resonator to detect a weak signal caused by axes, and an altacimuth bracket that can be used to search objects and parts of the sky for dark matter.

In this way, Dolly could help discover a pseudo-particle axis similar to the Higgs boson discovered in 2012. CERNAnd the hopeful dark subject candidate. Dark matter is a fundamental part of the universe that interacts so weakly with ordinary matter, so it is very difficult to see directly. However, the discovery of this subject allows us to explain the rotational curves of spiral galaxies and to explain why structure forms in the universe.