Breakthrough in Nuclear Clock Research Announced

Scientists are using a groundbreaking thorium-229 nuclear clock to potentially detect dark matter.

Breakthrough in Nuclear Clock Technology Could Change Dark Matter Research

In a significant advancement, physicists have developed a new method to detect dark matter using a thorium-229 nuclear clock. This innovative research, led by teams from the Weizmann Institute of Science and Germany’s National Metrology Institute, was published in Physical Review X in July 2025. The nuclear clock, which measures the oscillation of atomic nuclei, has the potential to reveal details about dark matter, an elusive component of the universe that makes up about 80% of its mass. The team aims to identify subtle shifts in thorium-229’s absorption spectrum that may indicate the presence of dark matter, despite its weak effects. This method could provide unprecedented accuracy in exploring one of physics' greatest mysteries.

This development could redefine how researchers approach the search for dark matter. Traditional methods often rely on high-energy particle collisions, which have not led to direct detection. Instead, the thorium-229 nuclear clock could detect the influence of dark matter at a much finer scale. The shift in resonances could open new pathways in both theoretical and experimental physics, shifting from merely seeking to observe dark matter to actually measuring its subtle effects on atomic structures. As Gilad Perez notes, achieving this goal may require both further precision and deeper insights into how dark matter interacts with known physics.

Highlights

This breakthrough may change our understanding of dark matter and its role in the universe.