XENON1T is designed to observe the existence of small particles. It is filled with 3.2 tons of liquid xenon. It is a huge target of solar axions, using solar neutrinos to enhance the magnetic moment of neutrinos and Bose dark matter. When one of the particles passes through the target, it can trigger light and free electrons of xenon atoms.
Although XENON1T began to be used to search for dark matter from weakly interacting heavy particles (WIMPs), it is also sensitive to other new particles and interactions. Scientists estimated the number of background events, but after comparing it with the actual data of the instrument, 53 more than the expected 232 events were found.
Where did these extra things come from? This is the theme of a new paper that is currently being preprinted. "The excess Rhe feature is similar to the possible result of a small residual amount of tritium (a hydrogen atom with one proton and two neutrons)," the researchers proposed, "but it may also be a sign of something more exciting -- for example, the existence of a new particle called a solar axion, or the previously unknown characteristics of neutrinos."
Part of the challenge for researchers is that the methods that ultimately confirm or disprove possible theories are not always known. For example, if it is a small amount of tritium, only a few atoms can explain the strange results. However, no independent measurement method can confirm or refute its existence at such a small level. In addition, the excess events may also come from new particles. It has been pointed out that the observed energy spectrum is actually similar to the axions produced in the sun.
"Axions are hypothetical particles that have been proposed to preserve the time reversal symmetry of nuclear forces, and the sun may be a strong source of them," XENON researchers explained. "Although these axions are not dark matter candidates, their detection will mark the first observation of a new class of particles with good motivation but never been observed, which will greatly affect our understanding of basic physics and astrophysical phenomena."
Although not dark matter itself, this axion may be a precursor. One theory is that axions from the early universe may actually be the source of dark matter. Researchers believe that dark matter accounts for the majority of matter. Researchers dare not think that neutrinos may also be the "culprit". If so, however, it is possible that the magnetic moment of neutrinos is actually larger than the current standard model of basic particles. "It would be a strong implication that some other new physics is needed to explain it," the team said.
Although the researchers of XENON are inclined to the axion theory, it is still impossible to say which theory is correct. However, this mystery may be solved in the next stage of research. XENON1T will be upgraded to XENONnT: the mass of active xenon is three times that of its predecessor. "With better data from XENONnT," the researchers put forward, "XENON cooperation is confident that it will soon find out whether this excess data is a simple statistical fluke, a background pollutant, or something more exciting: a new particle or interaction beyond the known physics.
XENON1T is designed to observe the existence of small particles. It is filled with 3.2 tons of liquid xenon. It is a huge target of solar axions, using solar neutrinos to enhance the magnetic moment of neutrinos and Bose dark matter. When one of the particles passes through the target, it can trigger light and free electrons of xenon atoms.
Although XENON1T began to be used to search for dark matter from weakly interacting heavy particles (WIMPs), it is also sensitive to other new particles and interactions. Scientists estimated the number of background events, but after comparing it with the actual data of the instrument, 53 more than the expected 232 events were found.
Where did these extra things come from? This is the theme of a new paper that is currently being preprinted. "The excess Rhe feature is similar to the possible result of a small residual amount of tritium (a hydrogen atom with one proton and two neutrons)," the researchers proposed, "but it may also be a sign of something more exciting -- for example, the existence of a new particle called a solar axion, or the previously unknown characteristics of neutrinos."
Part of the challenge for researchers is that the methods that ultimately confirm or disprove possible theories are not always known. For example, if it is a small amount of tritium, only a few atoms can explain the strange results. However, no independent measurement method can confirm or refute its existence at such a small level. In addition, the excess events may also come from new particles. It has been pointed out that the observed energy spectrum is actually similar to the axions produced in the sun.
"Axions are hypothetical particles that have been proposed to preserve the time reversal symmetry of nuclear forces, and the sun may be a strong source of them," XENON researchers explained. "Although these axions are not dark matter candidates, their detection will mark the first observation of a new class of particles with good motivation but never been observed, which will greatly affect our understanding of basic physics and astrophysical phenomena."
Although not dark matter itself, this axion may be a precursor. One theory is that axions from the early universe may actually be the source of dark matter. Researchers believe that dark matter accounts for the majority of matter. Researchers dare not think that neutrinos may also be the "culprit". If so, however, it is possible that the magnetic moment of neutrinos is actually larger than the current standard model of basic particles. "It would be a strong implication that some other new physics is needed to explain it," the team said.
Although the researchers of XENON are inclined to the axion theory, it is still impossible to say which theory is correct. However, this mystery may be solved in the next stage of research. XENON1T will be upgraded to XENONnT: the mass of active xenon is three times that of its predecessor. "With better data from XENONnT," the researchers put forward, "XENON cooperation is confident that it will soon find out whether this excess data is a simple statistical fluke, a background pollutant, or something more exciting: a new particle or interaction beyond the known physics.
