By Andrew Grant
DENVER — Ultracold crystals designed to catch particles of dark matter deep underground have come up with three potential detections, physicists reported April 13 at a meeting of the American Physical Society.
The researchers do not have enough evidence to say they have discovered dark matter particles, but the finding qualifies as a rare clue in the frustrating quest to understand the universe’s most elusive substance.
“We do not believe this result rises to the level of discovery,” said Kevin McCarthy, the MIT physicist who made the announcement. “But it does call for further investigation.”