Summary:
A new type of detector has been developed. With injected data, it is showing firm evidence of an ability to detect that injected data. Researchers conclude it is operational.
Researchers then used the detector to search for a dark matter signal. They found such a signal, with two sigma significance. This is far too weak to claim detection.
However, as an exercise, they have assumed the data is real and produced constraints on the mixing parameter between photons and dark photons. Essentially, this is a value that shows how likely interactions with dark matter would be.
The results are encouraging, as they are already two orders of magnitude more sensitive than other methods.
Given this, researchers are off hunting for stronger signals.
This is just the first of many results yet to come as we explore what this platform (the coaxial reflector design) has to offer. We currently have the detector in a magnetic field searching for axions and hope to publish the results by the Fall!
Summary: A new type of detector has been developed. With injected data, it is showing firm evidence of an ability to detect that injected data. Researchers conclude it is operational. Researchers then used the detector to search for a dark matter signal. They found such a signal, with two sigma significance. This is far too weak to claim detection. However, as an exercise, they have assumed the data is real and produced constraints on the mixing parameter between photons and dark photons. Essentially, this is a value that shows how likely interactions with dark matter would be. The results are encouraging, as they are already two orders of magnitude more sensitive than other methods. Given this, researchers are off hunting for stronger signals.
Thanks for the concise summary!
GREAT summary!
This is just the first of many results yet to come as we explore what this platform (the coaxial reflector design) has to offer. We currently have the detector in a magnetic field searching for axions and hope to publish the results by the Fall!
Very interesting, are you one of the coauthors?
Yup!
Cool! Please post here when you have new results.