The origin and nature of dark matter is one of the great mysteries in cosmology, astrophysics and particle physics. Through detailed observations of the gravitational behaviour of galaxies, scientists have inferred the existence of dark matter and that it makes up about a quarter of cosmic mass. Baryonic matter, the stuff of the Periodic Table – including people, planets and stars – makes up less than 5% of the cosmos.
As Earth orbits through the Milky Way galaxy, physicists believe we move through a sea of dark matter particles, though there’s never been a direct detection of one.
The SuperCDMS experiment is designed to detect dark matter by measuring the collision energy imparted to a germanium or silicon atom nucleus in a collision with a dark matter particle. The experiment will be particularly sensitive to particles with masses less than a few times that of a proton.
The detection and characterization of dark matter would revolutionize particle physics and cosmology. By confirming aspects of beyond-Standard Model theories, it would guide the work of generations of physicists, paving the way to new physics and its practical applications.
Similarly, non-detection by SuperCDMS will significantly narrow the possible characteristics of hypothesized dark matter particles.
SuperCDMS is a next-generation, scaled-up stage of the long-term international CDMS collaboration. Initially based at Stanford University’s Underground Facility and then the Soudan mine in Minnesota, USA, the project is moving to SNOLAB to benefit from the cosmic ray shielding provided by the greater depth. SuperCDMS is expected to begin measurements in 2022.