PICASSO group at laurentian university

虽然天文学和天体物理学对宇宙的观测表明暗物质无处不在，但它的性质对现代科学来说是一个尚未解决的问题。尽管如此，物理学家仍然坚信暗物质是由基本粒子构成的。观测表明，暗物质形成的光晕包括像我们这样的螺旋星系（银河系）。科学家们认为，暗物质粒子在银河系中快速旋转，其数量之多，每秒可以穿过一个苏打水瓶的瓶盖。许多实验正在进行中，以探测这些粒子，但没有人能够无可争议地声称探测到暗物质粒子。目前已知的基本粒子和粒子物理学标准模型中描述的基本粒子并不具备科学家认为暗物质粒子必须具备的特性。这些特性包括i-)与普通物质没有电磁相互作用（这就是为什么它们是暗的）；Ii -)产生引力（这就是为什么我们知道它们在那里）；Iii -)与普通物质的微弱相互作用。正是这种暗物质粒子与普通物质的微弱相互作用，我们希望能揭示暗物质的本质。加拿大超对称天体搜索项目（Project In Canada to Search for Super Symmetric Objects）的暗物质搜索实验最近取得了在暗物质搜索中最好的成绩之一。使用过热液滴技术的毕加索合作组织开发了自己的探测器，从而降低了生产和操作成本。毕加索合作项目现在正在SNOLAB开发和安装更大的探测器，并改进其技术，以最大限度地提高我们探测暗物质粒子的机会。下一代的暗物质搜索实验将更加灵敏，也就是说，将能够探测到暗物质粒子，即使它们与普通物质的相互作用比我们今天能探测到的弱1000倍。毕加索合作美术馆处于一个非常有利的位置，可以率先到达那里。

Although astronomical and astrophysical observations of the Universe indicate that dark matter is everywhere, its nature represents a problem for modern science that has not been solved yet. Nevertheless, there is a strong belief among physicists that dark matter is made of elementary particles.Observations indicate that dark matter forms halos that involve spiral galaxies like ours (the Milky Way). Scientists believe that dark matter particles are zooming around in the Milky Way in such a number that 10 million particles would pass through the cap of a soda bottle every second. Many experiments are under way to detect these particles but no one has been able to indisputably claim the detection of dark matter particles.The elementary particles presently known and described in the Standard Model of Particle Physics do not have the properties that scientists believe dark matter particles must have. These properties include i-) No electromagnetic interaction with ordinary matter (that is why they are dark); ii-) creates a gravitational pull (that is why we know they are there); iii-) a feeble interaction with ordinary matter. It is this feeble interaction of dark matter particles with ordinary matter what we hope will reveal dark matter's nature.The PICASSO (Project In Canada to Search for Super Symmetric Objects) dark matter search experiment has recently achieved one of the best performances in the search for dark matter. The PICASSO Collaboration, which uses the superheated droplet technique, develops its own detectors, which allows for a low cost of production and operation. The PICASSO Collaboration is now developing and installing larger detectors at SNOLAB and refining its technique in order to maximize even more our chance of detecting dark matter particles. The next generation of dark matter search experiments is going to be more sensitive, i.e., will be able to detect dark matter particles even if their interaction with ordinary matter is 1,000 times weaker than the levels we can detect today. The PICASSO Collaboration is in an excellent position to get there first.