Students Build Dark Matter Detector, Narrow Axion Search Parameters

Undergraduate students at the University of Hamburg constructed a dark matter detector that helped refine the search for axions. Axions are hypothetical particles considered leading candidates for dark matter. The student-built device established new experimental limits on axion properties.

The project was funded by a student research grant from the University of Hamburg's Hub for Crossdisciplinary Learning. Students designed a compact experimental setup. It featured a resonant cavity made from highly conductive materials. They integrated necessary electronics, cabling, structural supports, and measurement tools.

The team benefited from the expertise of the MADMAX dark matter experiment research group. MADMAX conducts similar experiments on a larger scale. The university and the Quantum Universe Cluster of Excellence provided additional funding, equipment access, and researcher support.

After construction, the system underwent testing, calibration, and data collection. The detector did not find any signal attributable to axions. This non-detection is scientifically valuable. It allows researchers to exclude axions with certain characteristics within the tested mass range.

Specifically, the experiment ruled out axions that would interact more strongly with photons. This outcome helps narrow the possibilities for future dark matter searches. The students demonstrated that smaller-scale experiments can contribute to significant physics problems. Their work was published in the *Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics*.