Light for the dark side of the universe with the UNDARK project

Most of space consists of the so-called “dark universe”.. Only 18% of all matter in the Universe consists of familiar atomic elements, and the rest 82% is a type of matter called “dark matter.”very rich in galaxies and whose fundamental nature is still unknown.

Even more intriguing is the fact that all matter, regular and dark, currently accounts for only 31% of the energy of the Universe.The rest is an even more mysterious component known as “dark energy,” which causes the Universe as a whole to accelerate as it expands. Between themselves, dark matter and dark energy can group together, forming the “dark side of the Universe.” In this context, the project UNDARK (Unraveling the Dark Universe from the Observatories of the Canary Islands), sets out to decipher the ingredients and laws that govern these unexplored corners of the cosmos.

Project led by IAC researcher Jorge Martin Camalichis to create a consortium in which renowned international institutions cooperate, among which CERN, the most important particle physics laboratory in the world.

IAC will play a central role in this international project, leveraging the theoretical knowledge of its partners and the advanced infrastructure of its observatories. From the Gran Telescopio Canarias to the gamma-ray telescopes of the future CTAO observatory and the instruments for measuring the cosmic microwave background in Isanha (Tenerife), such as QUIJOTE, the observatories of the Canary Islands will become neuralgic points for collecting vital data in the search for answers to the mysteries of the dark universe.

“The UNDARK consortium will be an important milestone in the scientific research and international cooperation developed in the observatories of the Canary Islands,” explains Martin Camalic. “With this project, we hope to lead the exploration of some of the deepest mysteries of the cosmos,” he concludes.