Unveiling the Secrets of Dark Matter with 'Hidden' Photons
Scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed a new method to detect hidden "dark photons," a potential candidate for dark matter. Dark matter, which makes up around 85% of the matter in the universe, remains invisible due to its weak or nonexistent interaction with light. Dark photons, theorized to possess mass, could explain the heating of the early universe and the structure of the cosmic web. The researchers used quantum-limited amplifiers and conducted their search at extremely low temperatures, setting new constraints on the characteristics of dark photons. Although no dark photons were detected, this approach could aid in future dark matter searches.