LZ detector in the US records unexplained particle interaction — Deutsche Welle English
Scientists working with the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) dark matter detector in South Dakota, US, reported on September 1, 2026, that they had recorded a particle interaction they could not explain. As Deutsche Welle English reports, the event resembled a signal that, according to researchers, a dark matter particle could produce when colliding with liquid xenon.
At the same time, the team did not describe the observation as a discovery or proof of the existence of dark matter. It has been sought for nearly a century: in 1933, physicist Fritz Zwicky introduced the term “dark matter” to describe invisible substance that could explain the rapid movement of galaxies.
What is known about dark matter
Dark matter is often called invisible because it neither emits nor reflects light and has not yet been directly detected. At the same time, its presence can be inferred from its gravitational effect on visible matter.
One of the most significant indirect pieces of evidence is considered to be the Bullet Cluster, which formed after the collision of two galaxy clusters. Researchers saw that the mass distribution differed from the distribution of hot gas and suggested that this mass could be dark matter.
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Ordinary matter makes up about 5% of the Universe. Dark matter accounts for around 27%, while dark energy, associated with the accelerated expansion of the Universe, makes up approximately 68%. Together, dark matter and dark energy account for about 95% of the Universe. If only matter is counted, dark matter’s share is estimated at 85%.
How the LZ detector works
Detectors such as LZ are located deep underground so that the surrounding rock shields them from cosmic radiation that can distort signals. Materials with very low levels of trace radioactivity are also selected for such instruments to reduce background noise.
LZ tracks a faint flash of light and a pulse of electric charge that occur when a particle interacts with liquid xenon. Massive weakly interacting particles, or WIMPs, and lighter axions are among the leading candidates for dark matter. According to DW, hypothetical dark matter particles constantly pass through the human body without any measurable effect.
