PVLAS
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
PVLAS (acronym for Polarizzazione del Vuoto con LASer) is an apparatus dedicated to the detection of dark matter. It is located at the Legarno National Laboratory of National Institute of Nuclear Physics in Padova, Italy.[1] Experiments with the apparatus started in 2001.
Since dark matter is a form of matter that does not emit or reflect enough electromagnetic radiation to be detected directly, the PVLAS is used to detect the small flattening acquired by a linearly polarised laser beam after it passes through a vacuum space where an intense magnetic field has been applied.[2]
The PVLAS investigates the vacuum after being perturbed by external magnetic fields. [3]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Exploring the Quantum Vacuum and its structure - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)
- Axion Interpretation of PVLAS Data? - 9th International Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics (TAUP 2005) September 10 - 14, 2005, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
[edit] References and notes
- ^ Figger, Hartmut; Meschede,Dieter; Zimmermann, Claus (2001). Laser Physics at the Limits. Springer, pp. 191. ISBN 3-5404-2418-0.
- ^ The PVLAS experiment
- ^ J. C. Spooner, Neil; Kudryavtsev, Vitaly (2001). The Identification of Dark Matter. World Scientific, pp. 482. ISBN 9-8102-4602-1.
