Lesson plan
Hidden sector
In particle physics, the hidden sector, also known as the dark sector, is a hypothetical collection of yet to be observed quantum fields and their corresponding hypothetical particles. The interactions between the hidden sector particles and the Standard Model particles are weak, indirect, and typically mediated through gravity or other new particles. Examples of new hypothetical mediating particles in this class of theories include the dark photon, sterile neutrino, and axion. In many cases, hidden sectors include a new gauge group that is independent from the Standard Model gauge group. The hidden sectors are commonly predicted by the models from string theory. They have been hypothesised to explain dark matter and supersymmetry breaking, solving the Muon g-2 anomaly and beryllium-8 decay anomaly. The flagship experiment for the investigation of this hidden sector is the Search for Hidden Particles experiment at CERN SPS.
Article summary
In particle physics, the hidden sector, also known as the dark sector, is a hypothetical collection of yet to be observed quantum fields and their corresponding hypothetical particles. The interactions between the hidden sector particles and the Standard Model particles are weak, indirect, and typically mediated through gravity or other new particles. Examples of new hypothetical mediating particles in this class of theories include the dark photon, sterile neutrino, and axion. In many cases, hidden sectors include a new gauge group that is independent from the Standard Model gauge group. The hidden sectors are commonly predicted by the models from string theory. They have been hypothesised to explain dark matter and supersymmetry breaking, solving the Muon g-2 anomaly and beryllium-8 decay anomaly. The flagship experiment for the investigation of this hidden sector is the Search for Hidden Particles experiment at CERN SPS.
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.