Story perspectives

Breakthrough in Dark Matter Detection Using Migdal Effect

12/4/2025

Summary

Story summary

An international team expanded dark matter detection with COSINE-100 by including the Migdal effect.
The Migdal effect enables searches for light dark matter below 1 GeV.
They aim to explore extremely low-mass dark matter down to 20 MeV.
In spin-dependent interactions, the analysis achieved a detection limit comparable to leading groups at 2.5 GeV.
Spin-independent analysis improved sensitivity tenfold and found no WIMP signal in the DAMA region in Italy.

History

Historical Context

The search for dark matter, hypothesized in the 1970s, gained momentum with the 1980s introduction of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) as potential candidates. In 2023, the COSINE-100 team enhanced detection methods by utilizing the Migdal effect, achieving a tenfold sensitivity improvement for light dark matter searches below 1 GeV, furthering our understanding of the universe's composition.

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Story summary

An international team expanded dark matter detection with COSINE-100 by including the Migdal effect.
The Migdal effect enables searches for light dark matter below 1 GeV.
They aim to explore extremely low-mass dark matter down to 20 MeV.
In spin-dependent interactions, the analysis achieved a detection limit comparable to leading groups at 2.5 GeV.
Spin-independent analysis improved sensitivity tenfold and found no WIMP signal in the DAMA region in Italy.

1 / 2