Use the atomic clock to help find evidence of dark matter

A joint team of physicists from the University of Sussex and the National Physical Laboratory, both in the UK, designed experiments to identify very light dark matter particles. In their paper published in open access New Journal of PhysicsThe group describes how they are trying to use the high precision of atomic clocks to detect “kicks” of very light dark matter particles that would lead to time differences, and in doing so would show evidence of dark matter.

Currently, dark matter is not something that has been proven to exist, rather it is just a placeholder created to explain observations of deviations from the Standard Model of physics, such as some gravitational effects on galaxies. Since its development as a theory in the early 1930s, physicists around the world have developed theories and experiments to prove its existence.

Unfortunately, despite much time and effort, no such evidence has been found. In this new effort, the team in the UK is working on a new way to lend credence to dark matter theories, by using atomic clocks to detect ultralight dark matter particles.

Atomic clocks achieve their accuracy by taking advantage of the inherent precision of atomic resonance, in which atoms oscillate between energy states in very precise ways. In the new study, the researchers hope to use this resolution to identify ultralight dark matter particles, which, as their name suggests, are theoretically small particles that make up dark matter.

Using an atomic clock to identify them revolves around the idea that the accuracy of atomic clocks can interfere slightly if, as the theory suggests, ultralight dark matter particles are able to interact very weakly with ordinary matter, as the theory suggests. as the basis for the atomic clock. If such small changes occur in the oscillation frequency of a given atom, the research team is confident they can be observed, and possibly measured. If this can be achieved, then scientists will have evidence of the existence of dark matter. The next step will be for a team of applied physicists to build a device capable of testing their new ideas.