The hunt for dark energy – the elusive and, so far, hypothetical force accelerating the Universe's expansion – has a new tool: an ultra-precise instrument developed by physicists at the University of California, Berkeley.
Among the leading hypotheses on dark energy is the existence of a fifth force, distinct from the four known fundamental forces of nature (gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces). The ‘chameleon’ particle, so called due to its ability to hide in plain sight, is central to this hypothesis.
Details of the experiment, led by Prof Holger Müller, and its results were published in the journal Nature, and could by the key to understanding this mysterious cosmic force.
It uses an advanced atom interferometer combined with an optical lattice. If that sounds technical, it's…
