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Nowadays , what researchers know about the universe still doesn ’ t explain dark matter , pushing them to look elsewhere for new particles .
Currently , two particles are the potential answer to dark matter : axions , a lighter particle and WIMPs ( Weakly Interacting Massive Particles ), a heavier and sturdy particle .
The SABRE experiment will be focusing on WIMPs .
It will run in conjunction with the experiment in place in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso as the Australian team will try to prove or disprove the results obtained by the Italians .
The Italian team which has been working on dark matter for more than 20 years has claimed to have detected a signal that has been fluctuating in line with the four seasons .
If the Australian team gets the same results as what has been observed in the northern hemisphere , it will prove that it is dark matter .
“ Whatever we find will transform our picture of physics in this century as surely as splitting the atom did in the 20th century ,” Swinburne Professor Alan Duffy said .
“ Explaining the nature of dark matter would reveal more of the universe than all of our collective efforts to date , the search is a global race .”
In addition to Australia , five other countries – Korea , Japan , the US , Spain and Austria – are in the run to confirm the results obtained by the Italian research team .
ANU vice chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt said he is pleased to see Australia ’ s confidence and capability to take scientific leadership .
“ Australia is one of the world ’ s leaders when it comes to astrophysical and space research ,” Schmidt said .
We know there is much more matter than we can see .
“ Dark Matter remains elusive , and there are only a handful of labs across the globe capable of making meaningful investigations . Australia has just put itself on the map when it comes to this exciting field of science .”
The SLUP , which will play an essential role in the dark matter discovery , is coowned and managed by the University of Melbourne , ANU , ANSTO , the University of Adelaide and Swinburne University of Technology .
The project has received a $ 35 million grant by the Australian Research Council to create a Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics , with an additional $ 5 million in funding by both the Australian and Victorian governments . ■
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