“广西造”成就世界级发现

Core Insights - The research led by the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Guangxi University and Central China Normal University, has successfully confirmed the Migdal effect in a neutral particle collision scenario, marking a significant advancement in the detection of light dark matter [1][2] - The Migdal effect, proposed by Soviet physicist Arkadi Migdal in 1939, is considered a crucial physical pathway to overcome the detection threshold for light dark matter [1] - The breakthrough in this research is attributed to the performance enhancement of the detector, specifically the gas microchannel plate pixel detector, which was adapted for ground experiments after over a decade of development [1] Research Details - The experimental team utilized a gas pixel detector developed by Guangxi University as the core component to create a highly sensitive detection device, capable of capturing the electron release process during atomic motion [2] - The experiment involved bombarding gas molecules within the detector with a neutron source, successfully capturing the unique trajectory of the resulting atomic recoil and Migdal electrons, thereby validating the Migdal effect [2] - This research not only provides critical support for breaking the detection threshold for light dark matter but also offers the first measurement of the ratio between the cross-section of the Migdal effect and the atomic recoil cross-section, serving as a key calibration reference for international dark matter experiments [2]