Scientists have developed a 3D printed vacuum system that aims to trap dark matter

Using a specially designed 3D printed vacuum system, scientists have developed a way to “capture” dark matter in order to detect domain walls. It will be a significant step forward in unraveling some of the mysteries of the universe.

Scientists at the University of Nottingham’s School of Physics have created a 3D-printed vacuum system that they will use in a new experiment to reduce the density of gas, then add ultracold lithium atoms to try to detect dark walls. The research was published in Physical overview D.

Professor Clare Burrage, from the School of Physics, is one of the lead authors of the study and explains: “The ordinary matter from which the world is made is only a tiny fraction of the universe’s content, about 5%, the rest being either dark. matter or dark energy—we can see their effects on how the universe behaves, but we don’t know what they are. One way people try to measure dark matter is by introducing a particle called a scalar field.

The researchers based the design of the 3D containers on the theory that light scalar fields with double-well potentials and direct matter couplings undergo density-driven phase transitions, leading to the formation of domain walls.

“As the density decreases, defects form – it’s similar to when water freezes into ice, the water molecules are random, and when they freeze, you get a crystal structure with the molecules arranged randomly, some arranged this way and some arranged differently, and this creates fracture line.

“Something similar happens in scalar fields as the density decreases. You can’t see these fault lines with the eye, but if particles pass through them, it can change their trajectory. These defects are dark walls and can prove scalar field theory – either these fields exist or they don’t ,” adds Burrage.

To detect these defects, or dark walls, the team created a specially designed vacuum to use in a new experiment that will mimic moving from a dense medium to a less dense one. Using the new setup, they cool lithium atoms with laser photons to -273°C, which is close to absolute zero. At this temperature, they acquire quantum properties, making the analysis more accurate and predictable.

Lucia Hackermueller, associate professor in the School of Physics, led the design of the laboratory experiment. He explains: “The 3D printed containers we use as a vacuum chamber were constructed using theoretical calculations of dark walls. This created what we thought was the ideal shape, structure and texture to trap dark matter.”

“To successfully demonstrate that the dark walls have been trapped, we pass a cold cloud of atoms through these walls. The cloud then deflects. To cool these atoms, we shoot laser photons at the atoms, which lowers the energy in the atom – it’s like slowing down an elephant with snowballs .”

It took the team three years to build the system and they expect to have results within a year.

“Whether we prove that dark walls exist or not, this will be an important step forward in our understanding of dark energy and dark matter, and an excellent example of how a well-controlled laboratory experiment can be designed to directly measure effects that are relevant to the universe and it cannot be observed otherwise,” adds Hackermueller.