Even so, Duffy believes that dark matter is itself a particle “something you can hold in your hand, something out there, waiting to be found. Together, dark matter and dark energy represent 95 percent of the universe (ordinary matter like you and me and the galaxies that surround us make up the rest). Approximately 27% of the universe is thought to be made up of dark matter, which does not absorb, reflect or emit light, making it extremely difficult to detect. It's the “M” in Einstein's famous E%3DMC² equation that tells us that energy and mass are actually the same thing, and that means that when you crush particles with enough force in a collider like the LHC, that energy will spin again and become matter.
But, since you know what you're putting in, in terms of energy, if something is missing later, you may have produced dark matter in that collision. Dr. Mitesh Patel, one of the principal physicists in one of the LHC experiments for CERN, the European particle physics laboratory, considers them the most interesting results he has seen in his career, even though he calls for caution. First, the publisher did not allow us to call it the Damned Particle, although that might be a more appropriate title, given its evil nature and the expenses it is causing.
In 1962, physicist Philip Anderson, an expert in condensed matter physics, observed that the breakdown of symmetry played a role in superconductivity and suggested that it could also be part of the answer to the problem of caliber invariance in particle physics. Ruderman, from New York University, said that CERN's quest to learn about dark matter and explain the origins of the universe makes him wait impatiently for the results of the experiment. The hope, the researchers said, is that when they collide, new particles will be created that resemble the properties of dark matter. Particle physicists study matter made up of fundamental particles whose interactions are mediated by exchange particles (caliber bosons) that act as carriers of force.
The data collection and energy improvements made to the particle grinder, called the Large Hadron Collider, could offer researchers one of their best opportunities to visualize and understand the substance. All the stars, planets and galaxies in the universe represent only 5% of the matter in the universe, according to CERN scientists.
