Aller au contenu principal
  • Paul Scherrer Institut PSI
  • PSI Research, Labs & User Services

Digital User Office

  • Digital User Office
  • DE
  • EN
  • FR
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)
Rechercher
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)

Hauptnavigation

  • Research at PSIOuvrir ce point de menu principal
    • Research Initiatives
    • Ethics and Research integrity
    • Scientific Highlights
    • Scientific Events
    • Scientific Career
    • PSI-FELLOW
    • PSI Data Policy
  • Research Divisions and LabsOuvrir ce point de menu principal
    • Overview
    • Research with Neutrons and Muons
    • Photon Science
    • Energy and Environment
    • Nuclear Energy and Safety
    • Biology and Chemistry
    • Scientific Computing, Theory and Data
    • Large Research Facilities
    • Logistics
  • Facilities and InstrumentsOuvrir ce point de menu principal
    • Overview
    • Large Research Facilities
    • Facilities
    • PSI Facility Newsletter
  • PSI User ServicesOuvrir ce point de menu principal
    • User Office
    • Methods at the PSI User Facilities
    • Proposals for beam time
    • Proposal Deadlines
    • Data Analysis Service (PSD)
    • EU support programmes
  • New ProjectsOuvrir ce point de menu principal
    • SLS 2.0
    • IMPACT
  • DE
  • EN
  • FR

Digital User Office (mobile)

  • Digital User Office

Vous êtes ici:

  1. PSI Home
  2. Labs & User Services
  3. NUM
  4. LTP
  5. UCN Physics
  6. Dark Matter Search

Navigation secondaire

UCN Physics Group

  • About UCN Physics Group
  • Scientific Highlights and News
  • People
    • Alumni
  • nEDM Search
  • High-Precision Magnetometry
  • Dark Matter Search
  • UCN Production
  • MCUCN Code
  • Events and Conferences
  • Publications
    • PhD Theses
    • Master Theses
    • Bachelor/Semester Theses
    • Posters

Info message

Ce contenu n'est pas disponible en français.

Dark Matter Search

The nEDM apparatus at PSI  is also an excellent tool to search for signatures of dark matter particles (Roccia S, Zsigmond G, 2021). A potential signal is a shift in the ratio of the spin-precession frequencies of ultracold neutrons (UCN) and the 199Hg atoms of the co-magnetometer. This shift can be interpreted as caused by a possible short-range spin-dependent neutron–nucleon interaction mediated by axion-like particles and was studied with high precision (Figure 1, Afach et al. 2015). In a second effort, the aforementioned ratios measured during the nEDM data-taking were analyzed as an axion-induced oscillating electric dipole moment of the neutron, and as an axion-wind spin-precession effect (Figures 2 and 3, Abel et al. 2017).

So-called disappearance experiments, which can also be conducted with UCNs, are a further way to search for dark matter signatures. It was hypothesized in the fifties by Lee and Young  that there could be a mirror copy of the weakly interacting particles, restoring parity conservation on the global level. Since then, various theorists put forward the idea that oscillations between a neutral SM particle, such as the neutron, and its mirror counterpart could help to explain various issues in physics, including dark matter.  Various searches for oscillations of neutrons to mirror-neutrons were conducted using the nEDM apparatus. Limits were achieved for the cases of zero mirror-magnetic field (Ban et al. 2007)  and of assuming non-zero mirror magnetic fields (Altarev et al. 2009) originating from mirror photons. Recent reports of anomalous signals sparked world-wide attention and initiated further search at PSI yielding new limits (Figure 4, Abel et al. 2020). A new dedicated apparatus has been installed at beamport West-1 to continue this effort, see Figure 5. and Ref. N. J. Ayres et al. 2022
 

DarkMatter Search
Figure 1: Limit established at PSI for the scalar-pseudoscalar coupling for axion or axion-like particle (pink solid line) (Afach et al 2015).

DarkMatter Search
Figure 2: First laboratory-based limit on the axion-gluon coupling (Abel et al. 2017).

DarkMatter Search
Figure 3: Limit on the axion-nucleon coupling (Abel et al. 2017).

DarkMatter Search
Figure 4: Lower 95% C.L. limit on the n-n' oscillation time for non-zero mirror magnetic fields (orange line) obtained at PSI (Abel et al. 2020), and the bands represent previously claimed signals.

mirror neutron setup West1
Figure 5: A new apparatus was recently installed at the West-1 beamport dedicated to the search of neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations at PSI. The UCN storage volume is placed inside the vacuum chamber that is visible in the center. This is surrounded by a Helmholtz-like coil system for an advanced control of the magnetic field stability and its homogeneity.

Sidebar

Contact

Dr. Bernhard Lauss

Telephone:
+41 56 310 46 47
E-mail:
bernhard.lauss@psi.ch


Secretary
Anita Van Loon

Telephone:
+41 56 310 32 54
E-mail:
anita.vanloon@psi.ch

UCN Source

User Facility Ultra Cold Neutrons

n2EDM Project

International Collaboration


Laboratory

  • Laboratory for Particle Physics (LTP)

Groups

  • LTP Theory Group
  • Crivellin Group
  • High Energy Physics Group
  • Muon Physics Group
  • UCN Physics Group
  • Electronics for Measuring Systems Group
  • Detectors, Irradiation and Applied Particle Physics Group
  • Vocational Training Homepage (in German)

Facilities

  • Proton Irraditation Facility (PIF)
  • Ultra Cold Neutrons Source (UCN)
  • Secondary Beamlines (SBL)

Open Positions

Job Opportunities at Research Division NUM.

Particle Physics Events

Overview Scientific Events at LTP.
top

Pied de page

Paul Scherrer Institut

Forschungsstrasse 111
5232 Villigen PSI
Suisse

Téléphone: +41 56 310 21 11
Téléfax: +41 56 310 21 99

Comment nous trouver 
Contact

Centre de visiteurs psi forum
Laboratoire élèves iLab (en allemand)
Centre de protonthérapie
Centre de Formation du PSI
PSI Guest House (en anglais)
PSI Gastronomie (en allemand)
psi forum shop

Service & Support

  • Annuaire
  • User Office
  • Accelerator Status
  • Publications du PSI
  • Fournisseurs
  • E-facture
  • Computing (en anglais)
  • Sicherheit (en allemand)

Carrière

  • Travailler au PSI
  • Offres d'emploi
  • Formation initiale et formation continue
  • Career Center
  • Formation professionnelle (en allemand)
  • Centre de Formation du PSI

Pour les médias

  • Le PSI en bref
  • Chiffres et faits
  • Le coin médias
  • Communiqués de presse
  • Réseaux sociaux

Suivez le PSI: Twitter (in English) LinkedIn Youtube Facebook Instagram Issuu RSS

Footer legal

  • Impressum
  • Conditions d'utilisation
  • Login éditeurs