Most of the universe is made of dark matter and dark energy, yet scientists still don’t know what either one is. New ultra-sensitive detectors are being built to spot incredibly rare particle interactions that could finally reveal their nature.
Scientists have made remarkable progress in understanding the universe, yet most of it remains unexplained. About 95% of everything that exists is made up of dark matter and dark energy, leaving just 5% as the familiar matter we can see and touch.
Dr. Rupak Mahapatra, an experimental particle physicist at Texas A&M University, is working to explore this unseen majority by creating highly sophisticated semiconductor detectors that rely on cryogenic quantum sensors. These instruments are used in experiments around the world and are designed to probe one of the deepest questions in modern physics.
Mahapatra often describes the challenge using a familiar metaphor. He compares humanity’s limited grasp of the universe — or lack thereof — to a parable. “It’s like trying to describe an elephant by only touching its tail. We sense something massive and complex, but we’re only grasping a tiny part of it.”
Understanding Dark Matter and Dark Energy
Dark matter and dark energy get their names from the fact that scientists still do not know what they are made of. Dark matter accounts for most of the mass in galaxies and galaxy clusters, playing a central role in shaping their structure across enormous distances. Dark energy refers to the phenomenon responsible for the universe’s accelerating expansion. In simple terms, dark matter acts to hold cosmic structures together, while dark energy drives them apart.
