SLAC on Tap: Night of the Dark Matter

Something is lurking in the dark.

Dark matter makes up most of the matter in the universe, yet it continues to slip through our grasp. But could scientists be closing in? The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment recently made headlines after researchers spotted a mysterious particle interaction that they can’t easily explain – one that could potentially have been caused by dark matter. Meanwhile, SuperCDMS has started its hunt for lighter dark matter particles with detectors sensitive enough to pick up their faintest traces.

At this special Halloween edition of SLAC on Tap, four SLAC scientists will take us deep into the bowels of the Earth, where experiments like LZ and SuperCDMS have set traps for one of the universe’s sneakiest substances. We’ll explore what could be hiding in the dark, how scientists are trying to catch it and what it would take to finally unmask dark matter.

The event will include a moderated panel followed by an audience Q&A. Come dressed as your favorite dark matter candidate for our costume competition: WIMPs, axions and other mysterious particles are all welcome. The dark is waiting.

About Dan Akerib, Tom Shutt, Kelly Stifter and Ann Wang

Dan Akerib and Tom Shutt, both professors of particle physics & astrophysics at SLAC, have been working together in the search for dark matter for most of the last 30 years, starting with the CDMS program and continuing through the development of liquid-xenon dark matter detectors, including LUX and LZ.

When Dan and Tom relocated from Case Western Reserve University to SLAC in 2014, their very first graduate student from the Stanford Physics Department was none other than Kelly Stifter. Kelly now develops new detectors, including quantum sensors, to extend dark matter searches to lower masses and is a member of the SuperCDMS collaboration. Ann Wang joined the LZ group as a KIPAC fellow, working with Dan and Tom on the search for dark matter with liquid xenon and on technologies for future detectors. Both Kelly and Ann later became Panofsky Fellows, giving them the freedom to pursue independent research at SLAC.