DISCOVERIES
THE HUNT FOR DARK ENERGY INTENSIFIES AS SCIENTISTS CLOSE IN ON ‘CHAMELEON’ PARTICLE
ASTROPHYSICS
A new experiment could unlock the mystery of the Universe’s accelerating expansion
The hunt for dark energy –the elusive and, so far, hypothetical force accelerating the Universe’s expansion – has a new tool: an ultra-precise physicists at the instrument developed by 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.