site.btaBulgarian Scientists Study Dark Matter at CERN

Several groups of Bulgarian scientists work at CERN, Assoc. Dr. Rumyana Hadzhiyska from the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, who is also Bulgaria's representative in the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG), told BTA.

One team is from Sofia University, she explained. Its members are engaged in the research on B-quarks (beauty quarks). The other group of scientists, including Assoc. Dr. Hadzhiyska, is from the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy. This team is involved in CERN's CMS experiment, investigating and searching for hypothetical particles called vector-like quarks. They are related to the physics of the X boson (known as the God particle) and the search for dark matter candidates, Hadzhiyska explained. She noted that dark matter should not be confused with antimatter. In the case of the latter, scientists are aware of what it is and how it can be used.

When it comes to dark matter, scientists it exists, but don't know how it interacts, Hadzhiyska pointed out. She specified that this type of matter became known from the observations of astronomers. In addition to dark matter, there is also dark energy in the universe. Scientists are already aware that the universe is expanding, but there is no answer to the question of why this is happening. The origin of the force, the energy, that causes this expansion is not clear. Unfortunately, humanity still knows about 5% of the known Universe, the rest is dark matter and dark energy, Hadzhiyska explained.

Hadzhiyska lead a master class for students in Varna, in which young people from the seaside town, Ruse, Dobrich and Dulovo participated. The event was hosted by the National Astronomical Observatory and Planetarium. The youth work with data from CERN's CMS experiment. At the end of the masterclass, they will share their results via video conference with scientists from the European Organization for Nuclear Research and with participants in similar masterclasses in Rijeka, Nicosia, Sao Paulo and Paris. The students work with real data from the CMS experiment, Hadzhiyska specified. They will probe with information from proton collisions and see how elementary particles like the to X boson, Z boson and W bosons are discovered.

Hadzhiyska also commented that one of the tasks of IPPOG, an organization uniting scientists from all over the world who deal with high-energy physics and elementary particles, is precisely to present science in an accessible and interesting language to the general public, and especially to students. Every year, the organization carries out various initiatives, with international master classes being a major focus.