SLAC topics

Dark matter RSS feed

One of modern science’s biggest mysteries is dark matter, an invisible form of matter that shapes galaxy rotation and bends rays of light. No one knows what dark matter is, but scientists are carrying out a number of experiments to learn more.

Related links:
Physics of the universe
Astrophysics and cosmology

Formation of dark matter structures.

News Feature

SLAC researchers contributed to the design, construction, testing and analysis of the experiment, which has already put the tightest bounds yet on a popular...

Bubble-like glass lenses inside a white cylindrical apparatus.
News Feature

Toro and Schuster are being recognized for their contributions to the design of experiments that use particle accelerators to search for dark matter particles.

SLAC physicists Natalia Toro and Philip Schuster
News Feature

Edelen draws on machine learning to fine tune particle accelerators, while Kurinsky develops dark matter detectors informed by quantum information science.

Side by side photographs of a woman and a man.
News Feature

The Rubin Observatory's LSST Camera will take enormously detailed images of the night sky from atop a mountain in Chile. Down below the mountain...

LSST data illustration
News Feature

DESI has already mapped out more galaxies than all previous 3D surveys combined, and it's just getting started.

Mayall Telescope Star Trails
News Feature

Managing the unprecedented amount of data that will soon stream from Rubin Observatory means more than buying tons of hard drives. SLAC scientist Richard...

A bearded man with glasses poses at a railing inside a building.
News Feature

She toured the lab’s powerful X-ray laser, looked at the construction of the world’s largest digital camera, and discussed climate research, industries of the...

Secretary Granholm virtual visit
News Feature

From the invisible world of elementary particles to the mysteries of the cosmos, recipients of this prestigious award for early career scientists explore nature...

Panofsky fellows
News Feature

An analysis of the first three years of Dark Energy Survey data is consistent with predictions from the current best model of the universe...

An observatory bathed in red light against a starry night sky
News Feature

Rebecca Leane and colleagues showed dark matter could heat planets in our galaxy to incredible temperatures. Here, she explains how that works and how...

Portrait of Rebecca Leane
News Feature

For the first time, DES scientists can combine measurements of the distribution of matter, galaxies, and galaxy clusters to advance our understanding of dark...

A map of the sky showing the density of galaxy clusters, galaxies and matter
News Feature

Rubin Observatory will bring new capabilities to the studies of dark matter and dark energy.

Illustration of Vera Rubin Observatory