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By Communications Staff

A major dark matter project is making SNOLAB, located near Sudbury, its new home.

The underground science facility has been chosen to host the Super Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (SuperCDMS), an international, multimillion-dollar dark matter experiment currently based in Minnesota.

  The Super Cryogenic Dark Matter Search is an international, multimillion dollar dark matter experiment currently based in Minnesota with plans to progress the project by building a more sensitive detector at SNOLAB.

The SuperCDMS experiment was selected by U.S. funding agencies as one of its major second-generation dark matter projects, with support going toward expanding the science by building a more sensitive detector at SNOLAB.

Utilizing state-of-the-art cryogenic germanium detectors, the collaboration is searching for dark matter particles, also known as weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). The discovery of these particles could resolve the dark matter problem, revolutionizing particle physics and cosmology. The use of the underground facility at SNOLAB reduces interference of known background particles.

“SNOLAB is really excited to hear the news that SuperCDMS-SNOLAB has been selected as one of the U.S. second generation direct dark matter search projects, and will be heading to SNOLAB for its next phase of operations,” says Nigel Smith (Physics), director of SNOLAB. “As a leading experiment in the field of dark matter searches, the combination of improved detector technologies and the facilities at SNOLAB will allow SuperCDMS to improve its sensitivity to WIMP dark matter interactions even further, and hopefully detect these elusive particles.”

The facility is operated by the SNOLAB Institute whose member institutions are Queen’s University, Carleton University, Laurentian University, University of Alberta and Université de Montréal. It is located two km below the surface in the Vale Creighton Mine near Sudbury, Ont.