Scientists working underground in a former gold mine beneath South Dakota's Black Hills have detected an unexplained particle signal that may be linked to dark matter. The finding, recorded by the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment, is not yet considered a confirmed discovery.
The detector contains around 10 tonnes of ultra-pure liquid xenon and hundreds of sensors designed to detect extremely rare particle interactions while shielding the experiment from cosmic radiation, according to reports.
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Researchers recorded a single unusual event during about 220 days of data collection. The event involved a faint flash of ultraviolet light and a recoil from a xenon nucleus. Scientists said the signal could potentially have been produced by a collision involving a weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP), one of the leading candidates for dark matter.
The event deposited energy of around 248 keV, considerably higher than expected from conventional WIMP models. If the signal is eventually confirmed as a dark matter interaction, the hypothetical particle could have a mass at least 200 times that of a proton, according to a report by Zamin.
The LZ collaboration, involving around 250 scientists and engineers from nearly 40 institutions, presented the findings at the 2026 TeV Particle Astrophysics Conference in Japan.
However, scientists remain cautious. The signal has a statistical significance of approximately 2.6 sigma, below the 5-sigma threshold generally required to claim a discovery in particle physics. Researchers are also investigating possible background explanations, including radioactive contamination from radon and detector materials.
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What is Dark matter?
Dark matter is believed to make up around 85% of the matter in the universe, but it does not emit or reflect light. Scientists therefore detect its presence indirectly through its gravitational effects.
Researchers will continue analysing the data and searching for additional events. For now, the finding is being described as an intriguing potential breakthrough rather than proof that a dark matter particle has been discovered.
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