Scroll
The Centre constructs and operates state-of-the-art experiments to directly detect dark matter in Australia. These experiments play an important role in international collaborations and are conducted at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL) in Victoria and the Quantum Technologies and Dark Matter Research Lab (QDM Lab) at the University of Western Australia (UWA). Robust research and development programs in collaboration with ANSTO and DST Group contribute to the design of completely new detection technologies to enable even greater sensitivity in current and future experiments.
Direct Detection Theme Leaders
Featured
Michael E. Tobar is currently a Professor of Physics at the University of Western Australia School of Physics. Notably, between 2009 and 2014, he was awarded a Laureate Fellowship by the Australian Research Council.
Professor Phillip Urquijo is a leading experimental particle physicist, with considerable experience in the management of large physics experiments, and is involved in the development and construction of SABRE South and data analysis tools for experiments at SUPL.
Direct Detection Experiments
Featured
ADMX is an axion haloscope located at the Center for Experimental Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics (CENPA) at the University of Washington. The experiment uses a strong magnetic field to convert dark matter axions to detectable to microwave photons.
World leading researchers with more than twenty years of sucessfully building liquid xenon Dark Matter detectors unite XLZD Consortium. DARWIN, LZ and XENONnT have the same scientific goals but differ in technical details. XLZD are able to explore and select the best options from both worlds, strengthening R&D efforts by combining ideas and resources.
The Centre’s main effort in WISP detection is what is known as The Oscillating Resonant Group AxioN Experiment, or ORGAN for short
The WIMP search has spawned numerous innovations in particle detector technology. To give a sense of the rapid rate of progress, the experimental sensitivity to WIMPs over the last two decades has increased more quickly than computer speeds (as described by ‘Moore’s Law’) during the 80s to 00s.
While most experimental searches for WIMP dark matter have come up empty, there is one experiment, known as DAMA, that has claimed to have detected dark matter, and no one has yet been able to confirm or refute the claim.
Read the latest posts in Direct Detection
Featured
A team of scientists involved with the SABRE South dark matter experiment visited the Swinburne University’s Wantirna campus in Melbourne to practice procedures that will later be repeated 1km underground in an active gold mine in the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory.
Centre researchers Elisabetta Barberio and Madeleine Zurowski participated in the ABC Catalyst The Dark Side of the Universe episode.
Members of the CYGNUS-Oz collaboration have received a funding injection of more than $90,000 that will enable the Australian team to play a pivotal role in the international quest to develop directional dark matter detectors.
CYGNUS is a grouping of international researchers who have an interest in directional detection using gaseous Time Projection Chambers (TPCs).
Centre Director Elisabetta Barberio will provide an update on the SABRE South experiment, which will be located in the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory.
Located one kilometre underground in the Stawell Gold Mine, the first dark matter laboratory in the Southern Hemisphere is preparing to join the global quest to understand the nature of dark matter and unlock the secrets of our universe.
Direct Detection Publications
Featured
N. Bell, J. Newstead, E. Barberio, O. Stanley, P. Urquijo
T. Venville, A. Duffy
G. Rybka, A. Chou, M. Goryachev, E. Hartman, B. McAllister, A. Quiskamp, C. Thomson, M. Tobar
E. Barberio, T. Baroncelli, L. J. Bignell, I. Bolognino, G. Brooks, F. Dastgiri,
G. D’Imperio, A. Di Giacinto, A. R. Duffy, M. Froehlich, G. Fu, M. S. M. Gerathy, G. C. Hill, S. Krishnan, G. J. Lane, G. Lawrence, K. T. Leaver, I. Mahmood, A. Mariani, P. McGee, L. J. McKie, P. C. McNamara, M. Mews, W. J. D. Melbourne, G. Milana, L. J. Milligan, J. Mould, F. Nuti, V. Pettinacci, F. Scutti, Z. Slavkovská, N. J. Spinks, O. Stanley, A. E. Stuchbery, G. N. Taylor, C. Tomei, P. Urquijo, C. Vignoli, A. G. Williams, Y. Y. Zhong &
M. J. Zurowski
J. Bourhill, E. Paterson, M. Tobar, M. Goryachev
M. Tobar, M. Goryachev
R. Abdel Khaleq, C. Simenel, A. Stuchbery, G. Busoni
Centre Authors: Quiskamp, Aaron, McAllister, Ben, Tobar, Michael, Goryachev, Maxim, Ivanov, Eugene, O'Hare, Ciaran, Altin, Paul
Centre Authors: McAllister, Ben, Tobar, Michael, Goryachev, Maxim, Thomson, Catriona, Ivanov, Eugene, Altin, Paul
M. Tobar, C. Thomson, A. Quiskamp, B. McAllister, M. Goryachev, G. Rybka
Centre Authors: McAllister, Ben, Tobar, Michael, Goryachev, Maxim, Thomson, Catriona
Centre Authors: Tobar, Michael
Centre Authors: Quiskamp, Aaron, McAllister, Ben, Rybka, Gray, Tobar, Michael, Goryachev, Maxim, Thomson, Catriona
Centre Authors: Tobar, Michael, Goryachev, Maxim
Centre Authors: Duffy, A., Mould, J., Flynn, C., Dixon, M., Taylor, E.
Centre Authors: Tobar, M., Goryachev, M., McAllister, B., Quiskamp, A., Campbell, W., Thomson, C., Ivanov, E., Bourhill, J.
Centre Authors: Tobar, M., McAllister, B.
Centre Authors: Bell, N., Barberio, E. L., Newstead, J., O'Hare, C., Boehm, C., Urquijo, P.
Centre Authors: Duffy, A., Lawrence, G., Hopkins, P.
Centre Authors: Tobar, M., Goryachev, M.
Centre Authors: Tobar, M., Goryachev, M., Thomson, C.
Centre Authors: Bell, N., Thomas, A. W., Lane, G., Bignell, L., Froehlich, M., Slavkovska, Z., McKie, L., Urquijo, P., Newstead, J., McNamara, P., O'Hare, C., Boehm, C., Mosbech, M., Dastgiri, F., Sengupta, D., Bolognino, I., Hill, G., Jackson, P., Spooner, N., Stuchbery, A.
Centre Authors: Duffy, A., Flynn, C., Batten, A.
Centre Authors: Tobar, M., Goryachev, M., McAllister, B.