Delving into dark matter

Dr Xin Ran Liu from the School of Physics and Astronomy joined fellow eminent scientists in Beijing on 31 October to present at the ‘Why The Dark Matters’ event, hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAM), and jointly organised with the UK Research Institute (UKRI).

Dark Matter is the as-yet-undetectable substance that is thought to make up over 80 percent of the mass of the universe. Dark matter is a material that cannot be seen directly, but we know that dark matter exists because of the effect it has on the objects that we can observe.

Understanding dark matter is important in helping us understand the size, shape and future of the universe, and in helping us explain the formation and evolution of galaxies and clusters.

This event was one of over 100 worldwide events held on 31 October to mark ‘World Dark Matter Day’. The ‘Why The Dark Matters’ event consisted of interactive expert lectures to a local audience of several thousand, and a further live online audience of around 100,000. It included a live satellite link between China and the UK’s Boulby Underground Laboratory, which has a strong legacy in the field of dark matter research, and is where much of Dr Liu's research is based.