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BaF Spectroscopy Cuts Z´ Dark-Matter Limits 100-Fold

5/13/2026

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Story summary
  • On 12 May 2026, Dr. Konstantin Gaul, Dr. Lei Cong and Prof. Dmitry Budker reported limits on dark-matter-mediated electron-nucleus forces.
  • Using the MOGON 2 supercomputer, they reinterpreted barium-fluoride (BaF) spectroscopy to set upper bounds on Z´-mediated forces, a molecular approach that avoids nuclear-theory uncertainties of cesium-133 analyses.
  • The method could improve sensitivity up to 100-fold, narrowing Z´ boson space that may comprise about 23 % of the universe’s mass-energy.