CDMS

CDMS, or the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search, is a direct detection experiment designed to search for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), a leading candidate for dark matter. The experiment is located at the Soudan Underground Laboratory in Minnesota, USA, and operates at temperatures close to absolute zero to reduce background noise and enhance sensitivity.

The CDMS experiment uses germanium and silicon detectors cooled to approximately 50 millikelvin. These detectors are designed to measure the tiny amount of heat produced when a WIMP collides with a nucleus in the detector. The experiment is sensitive to WIMPs with masses ranging from a few GeV/c² to over 10 TeV/c².

CDMS has made significant contributions to the field of dark matter research. In 2000, the experiment reported the first evidence for a WIMP signal, which was later confirmed by other experiments. However, subsequent results from CDMS and other experiments have not found definitive evidence for WIMPs, leading to a reevaluation of the WIMP paradigm.

The CDMS collaboration has also developed and tested new detector technologies, such as the SuperCDMS experiment, which aims to further improve sensitivity and reduce background noise. The collaboration continues to operate and analyze data from the CDMS experiment, contributing to our understanding of dark matter and the fundamental nature of the universe.