Weakly interacting massive particles

Definition

Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are hypothetical particles that are candidates for dark matter. They interact via the weak nuclear force and gravity, making them hard to detect directly.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. WIMPs are considered a major candidate for dark matter.
2. They do not emit light or radiation, making them invisible to traditional detection methods.
3. Their mass is assumed to be between a few GeV and a few TeV.
4. Experiments like LUX-ZEPLIN and XENON1T aim to detect WIMPs via their rare interactions with normal matter.
5. Theories such as Supersymmetry predict the existence of WIMPs.

Review Questions

• What makes WIMPs difficult to detect?
• Name two experiments designed to detect WIMPs.
• How do theories like Supersymmetry relate to WIMPs?

Related terms

Dark Matter:

A form of matter thought to account for approximately 27% of the mass and energy in the observable universe, detectable by its gravitational effects but not by electromagnetic radiation.

Supersymmetry:

A theoretical framework where each particle has a superpartner with different spin properties, potentially explaining dark matter through particles like WIMPs.

$GeV$: $GeV$ stands for giga-electronvolt, a unit of energy used in particle physics. $1 GeV = 10^9$ electronvolts.