Short Wave Could This Particle 'Clean Up' A Cosmic Mystery?
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Feb 17, 2025 Theoretical particle physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein delves into the enigma of dark matter and the elusive axion, a hypothetical particle that could tidy up our understanding of the universe. She discusses the challenges of detecting axions and how they might explain the universe's missing mass. The conversation also explores wave-particle duality and the promising avenues of research, including the significance of data from the Gaia Space Telescope. Join her as she unwraps the cosmic secrets hidden within axions!
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Dark Matter Mystery
- Most matter in the universe is invisible and doesn't interact with light.
- This "dark matter" makes up over a quarter of the universe and affects how stars and galaxies move.
Axions: A Potential Solution
- Axions are hypothetical particles proposed as a solution to the dark matter problem.
- They are smaller than atoms and haven't been directly observed yet.
Axion Properties
- Axions behave more like waves than particles in certain situations.
- Unlike other particles, they can form a Bose-Einstein condensate.