UK researchers have initiated the design of a groundbreaking device intended to detect dark matter particles, the mysterious substance thought to make up more than 85% of the Universe’s content. The detector, which is set to become the world’s most advanced dark matter detection instrument, could be hosted at the Boulby Underground Laboratory, a deep underground science facility located in the north-east of England.

The project is part of the international Xenon Lux-Zeplin Darwin (XLZD) Consortium for dark matter research, which aims to detect and study dark matter by developing cutting-edge experimental technology. With an £8 million award from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Infrastructure Fund, the UK-led consortium, spearheaded by Imperial College London, will work alongside UK institutions such as the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to make significant progress over the next three and a half years.

The XLZD project’s primary objective is to develop a dark matter detector that could utilize up to 100 tonnes of liquid xenon, stored in a massive underground “thermos flask.” Scientists anticipate that dark matter particles passing through the Earth will interact subtly with the xenon, creating tiny flashes of light that could provide the first definitive evidence of dark matter.

Professor Sean Paling, Director and Senior Scientist at STFC’s Boulby Underground Laboratory, stated, "To discover or even rule out the existence of dark matter will be an enormous leap for science and our understanding of the cosmos."

If successful, the project has the potential to revolutionize the field of particle physics in the same way that the Large Hadron Collider did with the discovery of the Higgs Boson particle in 2012. By unlocking the secrets of dark matter, scientists could gain unprecedented insights into the nature of the Universe, its formation, and the invisible forces that shape it.

The detector could become one of the most significant UK-based scientific undertakings in over 50 years. Should Boulby be selected as the host, the project would attract top international scientists to the region and solidify the UK’s position as a global leader in cutting-edge scientific research.

Professor Henrique Araújo from Imperial College London, the lead project researcher, emphasized the UK’s role in the endeavour: "Several underground laboratories around the world are bidding to host our experiment, and the UK’s leadership in this type of discovery science makes us a prime candidate."

The design of the dark matter detector marks an exciting milestone for the scientific community and could be a major step forward in solving one of the Universe’s greatest mysteries.