Cleveland Institution of Engineers (CIE)

STEM Centre, Middlesbrough College, TS2 1AD

Astronomers and physicists are convinced there is much more out in space than meets the eye. As well as the stars & galaxies we can see on a clear night, observations suggest there is much more matter out there that we cannot see. This is known as 'DARK MATTER' - the missing mass in the universe - and the race is on in the world science community to find out exactly what it is. For more than two decades UK and international astrophysicists have been operating experiments in a dedicated 'low background' facility, 1100m below ground at Boulby salt and Polyhalite mine in the North East of England. The Boulby scientists are trying to be the first to prove (or disprove) the favoured theory that Dark Matter is particles: as yet undetected subatomic particles all around us, each weighing just a small amount but together accounting for most of the mass of the Universe. The search for Dark Matter at Boulby continues and is intensifying, with exciting new projects expecting to begin at the facility in the coming few years. In the meantime the range of science areas looking for the special properties of a facility like Boulby Underground is growing, including projects ranging from studies of geology and geophysics, Earth and environmental sciences, life in extreme environments on Earth and the development of technologies for looking for life beyond Earth. This talk will give an overview of the Boulby Deep Underground Science Facility, the Dark Matter search experiments hosted and the new areas of deep underground science underway or emerging. The talk is open to all - no prior expertise in astrophysics or deep underground science is required... Webex link to join online:- Tuesday, 05 December 2023 18:00 | (UTC+00:00) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London | 2 hrs clevelandinstitutionofengineers.my.webex.com/clevelandinstitutionofengineers.my/j.php?MTID=m37af01d2557aad13e7b7af2533c4deb7


 

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