Speaker
Description
Ultralight vector dark matter is expected to form a coherent oscillating field that can generate tiny, periodic forces detectable by precision instruments. Our differential torsion sensor focuses on detecting differential accelerations between beryllium (Be) and aluminium (Al) test masses, materials chosen for their contrasting neutron-to-mass ratios. By measuring the differential acceleration, the sensor can search for composition-dependent effects arising from couplings between dark matter and ordinary matter.
The sensor operates over a frequency range of approximately 10 mHz to 10 Hz, corresponding to ultralight dark matter masses of roughly $4 \times 10^{-17}$ eV to $4 \times 10^{-14}$ eV. This parameter space remains comparatively unexplored for wave-like dark matter candidates. The experiment's combination of ultra-low-noise operation, long-duration observations, and advanced signal analysis will enable sensitive searches for the persistent narrow-band signatures expected from these dark matter fields.
With target torque sensitivities of $10^{-15} \,–\, 10^{-14}~$N·m Hz$^{-1/2}$, the instrument provides a powerful and complementary approach to existing dark matter searches and astrophysical observations. In this talk I will describe the design of the differential torsion sensor and present the estimated sensitivity performance.
| Primary Abstract Topic | Experiment: Axions and Wave-Like-DM |
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