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The Search for WIMPS

The Search for WIMPS. By Kristine Kovacs The Big Bang and Beyond. What are WIMPS?. WIMPS stands for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles WIMPS are particles that are thought to possibly be the mysterious dark matter that is missing from the universe. Characteristics of WIMPS.

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The Search for WIMPS

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  1. The Search for WIMPS By Kristine Kovacs The Big Bang and Beyond

  2. What are WIMPS? • WIMPS stands for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles • WIMPS are particles that are thought to possibly be the mysterious dark matter that is missing from the universe

  3. Characteristics of WIMPS • Predicted only by theory—have not yet been found • “exotic” particles—means that they are different than the ordinary particles that make up the world around us • Can travel straight through solid objects • Extremely difficult to detect because they are not the only things zipping around—there are also alpha particles, gamma-rays, electrons, and cosmic rays

  4. Characteristics of WIMPS Cont. • Masses are perhaps 10 to 100 times that of protons • Relatively heavy • Move much slower than the speed of light • Since they don’t interact with radiation, they would not affect the observed “smoothness” of the cosmic background radiation • Could contribute up to 90% of dark matter

  5. Detection of WIMPS • VERY hard to detect—have not even been yet • Many experiments formed to try to be the first to detect WIMPS • Can be detected only through very occasional collisions with the nuclei of a suitable target • A collision causes the nucleus to recoil slightly, which can be detected and measured in various ways

  6. Technologies • ZEPLIN I, ZEPLIN II, ZEPLIN III-liquid xenon scintillators in which the small amount of energy from the recoil causes photons of light to be released from scintillator material which can then be measured • Plans for a larger experiment, ZEPLIN-MAX are in the process of being drawn up • CDMS (Cryogenic Dark Matter Search) Detector-senses the recoil energy when a particle strikes the nucleus of an atom in the crystals (the mass of silicon and germanium crystals located at the heart of the CDMS sensor) • UKDMC Project-1100 meters below ground in Europe, where the thick rock acts as a natural filter of cosmic rays, and only lets the WIMPS through into the caverns below, where they can be detected

  7. Pictures of Recent Technologies A cut-away drawing of the new ZEPLIN II detector currently being constructed The ZEPLIN I Detector

  8. Works Cited • http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/deepspace/darkmatter/wimps.shtml • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/hawking/strange/html/strange_wimps.html • http://www.pparc.ac.uk/frontiers/latest/feature.asp?article=13F5&style=feature • http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/generalscience/dark_matter_000228.html

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