Grant: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Individual

Although astronomical and astrophysical observations of the Universe indicate that dark matter is everywhere, its nature represents a problem for modern science that has not been solved yet. Nevertheless, there is a strong belief among physicists that dark matter is made of elementary particles.Observations indicate that dark matter forms halos that involve spiral galaxies like ours (the Milky Way). Scientists believe that dark matter particles are zooming around in the Milky Way in such a number that 10 million particles would pass through the cap of a soda bottle every second. Many experiments are under way to detect these particles but no one has been able to indisputably claim the detection of dark matter particles.The elementary particles presently known and described in the Standard Model of Particle Physics do not have the properties that scientists believe dark matter particles must have. These properties include i-) No electromagnetic interaction with ordinary matter (that is why they are dark); ii-) creates a gravitational pull (that is why we know they are there); iii-) a feeble interaction with ordinary matter. It is this feeble interaction of dark matter particles with ordinary matter what we hope will reveal dark matter's nature.The PICASSO (Project In Canada to Search for Super Symmetric Objects) dark matter search experiment has recently achieved one of the best performances in the search for dark matter. The PICASSO Collaboration, which uses the superheated droplet technique, develops its own detectors, which allows for a low cost of production and operation. The PICASSO Collaboration is now developing and installing larger detectors at SNOLAB and refining its technique in order to maximize even more our chance of detecting dark matter particles. The next generation of dark matter search experiments is going to be more sensitive, i.e., will be able to detect dark matter particles even if their interaction with ordinary matter is 1,000 times weaker than the levels we can detect today. The PICASSO Collaboration is in an excellent position to get there first.