- Scientists using the LUX-ZEPLIN detector have recorded a single anomalous particle interaction that could represent the first direct detection of dark matter.
- The interaction was detected by an international team of 250 scientists and may have been caused by a Weakly Interacting Massive Particle with a mass at least 200 times that of a proton.
- Lead author Dr Sam Eriksen stated that the finding could be the first step in understanding dark matter, which is thought to account for roughly 85 per cent of mass in the universe.
- The analysis achieved a 2.6-sigma statistical significance, which falls short of the 5-sigma threshold required to officially claim a scientific discovery.
- Researchers will continue to gather and analyse data from the ongoing experiment to see whether the anomalous signal grows in significance or fades away.
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