![]() In atomic clocks, groups of atoms are prepared by placing them in a higher energy state using microwave energy, and the characteristic and consistent rates at which they vibrate between states - their resonance frequencies - are used to precisely measure time. Then, they eventually release this energy and drop back down to their lower ground state. When atoms absorb energy, they go to a higher energy state. ![]() "Atomic clocks bring cosmology and astrophysics down to Earth, enabling searches for ultra-light particles that could explain dark matter in a laboratory," Calmet said.Ītomic clocks measure time using atoms with two potential energy states. ![]() This should affect the rate at which clocks tick, but the variation would be so small it could only be spotted with an incredibly precise clock - and that's where atomic clocks come in. "There must be new physics, but we do not know how to describe these new particles and how they couple to regular matter." How can "new physics" be spotted with atomic clocks?Īccording to established laws of physics, clocks should tick at a constant rate, but physics beyond the Standard Model's scope would result in tiny charges in atomic energy levels. We know that it is out there, we see its impact in our universe, but we don't have a valid explanation within the Standard Model of particle physics," Calmet continued. "One of the biggest mysteries is the nature of dark matter. This new physics could be used to explain the nature of dark matter, something that doesn't fit within the Standard Model.
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