Collaborative Research: NSF-BSF:Continuation of the XENONnT Experiment at LNGS

NSF Award Search · 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $649,999 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

Dark matter is a mysterious substance that makes up most of the matter in the Universe, but it has never been seen directly. To uncover this cosmic enigma, scientists are conducting the XENONnT experiment. This experiment uses a detector filled with nearly nine tons of ultra-pure liquid xenon to search for extremely rare interactions that could help us understand what dark matter is composed of. XENONnT is the last experiment in the international XENON Dark Matter project, which has received support from the National Science Foundation since it began. This project creates a rich environment for educating students and researchers in the U.S. and around the world, with more than twenty institutions collaborating globally. The scientists working on this project are trained in advanced science and technology that cover multiple disciplines. The specialized tools and techniques they use, along with advanced data analysis and statistical methods, are not only important for understanding dark matter but also have significant applications in fields like medicine, nuclear safety, and data science. Candidates for the dark matter which dominates the matter content of the Universe span decades in mass and interaction cross-section with normal matter. The class of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) has been the most studied theoretically and experimentally with indirect and direct searches as well as at the Large Hadron Collider. The sensitivity for WIMPs direct detection

Key facts

NSF award ID
2514318
Awardee
Columbia University (NY)
SAM.gov UEI
F4N1QNPB95M4
PI
Elena Aprile
Primary program
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
NSF and US-Israel Binational Science Fou, Artificial Intelligence (AI), PHYSICS OF THE UNIVERSE
Estimated total
$649,999
Funds obligated
$649,999
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
09/01/2025 → 08/31/2026