Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists search for elusive dark matter throughout the universe
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (KRQE) – Seeing the invisible. That's what a small group of scientists at Los Alamos National Labs are trying to do with data recovered from a near-Earth asteroid, and while it sounds like a daunting if not an impossible task, it's not the first time astronomers have used the theory of 'dark matter' to make celestial discoveries.
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Nineteenth-century astronomers were puzzled by the orbit of the planet Uranus. Mathematical calculations indicated something massive was pulling on its orbital path. Then, on the night of September 23, 1846, astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle observed what would be the eighth planet in our solar system: Neptune. 'When we look at the trajectory of Uranus, and we found out that the Uranus motion has some irregularity different from the prediction,' said Yu-Dai Tsai, Research Physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Astronomers successfully predicted where Neptune would be in the sky based on mathematical calculations, which opened a greater understanding of our place in the universe. That same method of discovery is being used in the 21st century, this time, searching for what is impossible to see. 'So the interesting thing about dark matter is that we know that it should have gravitational effect. We know roughly how it's distributed, but we don't know any of the detailed particle property or any of the detailed wavelike property that dark matter should have,' said Tsai.
For more than a century, scientists and astronomers have theorized that there is an invisible form of matter tying the universe together. Now, scientists like Tsai at Los Alamos National Labs are employing near-earth objects like the asteroid Bennu to search for this elusive particle. 'We're actually trying to see first if there is any force that is beyond our current understanding. And also we can use that to also study the dark matter distribution in the solar system,' said Tsai.
The 2023 NASA Osiris-Rex mission collected samples of dust and rock from the asteroid. Tsai said that the samples could help fundamentally change our understanding of the standard model of physics, adding a fifth element, not that fifth element, to the quartet of the known forces, including gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear, and strong nuclear force. 'If you can prove certain theory and discover a class of new particle or new forces, that will open up a new window to our further understanding of how nature works. But currently, we haven't fully understood dark matter, and we haven't found a fifth force. So it's worth continue figuring out,' said Tsai.
According to Tsai, Bennu is just the beginning. In 2029, the asteroid Apophis will make a close approach to Earth. While original observations showed it had a small chance of hitting our planet, it's now calculated to pass by at a safe distance of just 19,000 miles. That's closer than some satellites currently in orbit. The close call will give NASA another chance to collect samples and data on the asteroid with their OSIRIS-APEX mission. The fly-by will hopefully kick up more 'dust' for Tsai and his colleagues in their search for the mysterious force. 'We are more and more, have a better and better precision on tracking all these asteroid. But still there's always surprise. And there, if there is extra force or extra dark matter distribution, it can have a subtle effect on some of these asteroids,' said Tsai.
While the slight variations caused by dark matter may not have astronomical effects on near-Earth objects, any slight variation in calculating an orbit can mean the difference between a near miss and a direct hit. 'Those are very important for our future survival. Whether we, if we know some place is going to be hit by asteroid, we need to evacuate or we need to deflect the asteroid. There are many things we can do, but we need to know beforehand,' said Tsai.
He hopes this data will not only further enhance LANL's research into dark matter, and a potential new physical element, but he also hopes this research will make the planet safer in our celestial neighborhood.
Tsai said that while there is evidence of dark matter within the universe, proof of its existence within our solar system has yet to be found.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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