{"slug":"dark-matter","topic":"dark-matter","title":"Dark Matter Searches: State of the Field (October 2026)","summary":"This dossier surveys direct searches for dark matter particles as of October 2026: WIMP scattering in xenon and argon detectors, the annual-modulation test of sodium-iodide claims, sub-GeV electron-recoil searches, axion haloscopes and primordial black hole constraints. The central takeaway is that the tightest spin-independent WIMP limit reviewed here, near 2.2 × 10^-48 cm² at 40 GeV/c², is still an exclusion, while the sharpest current debate concerns the DAMA/LIBRA modulation claim and the neutrino background.","version":1,"published_at":"2026-10-30","updated_at":"2026-10-30","stats":{"words":3464,"citations":40,"claims":28,"timeline":17,"benchmarks":11,"open_problems":7,"key_papers":15,"glossary":18},"verification":{"status":"verified","method":"automated figure and citation-relevance triage against cited abstracts, plus targeted AI review with web checks of flagged statements; automated citation resolution","claims_checked":10,"issues_fixed":4,"verified_at":"2026-10-30"},"ai_assisted":true,"price":{"usd":"0.20","protocol":"x402","network":"eip155:84532","asset":"USDC"},"url":"https://space-kitty.com/dossiers/dark-matter","preview_url":"https://space-kitty.com/api/v1/dossiers/dark-matter/preview","purchase_url":"https://space-kitty.com/api/v1/dossiers/dark-matter","toc":[{"level":2,"text":"Executive summary","anchor":"executive-summary"},{"level":2,"text":"Background and core concepts","anchor":"background-and-core-concepts"},{"level":2,"text":"Timeline of key milestones","anchor":"timeline-of-key-milestones"},{"level":2,"text":"State of the art","anchor":"state-of-the-art"},{"level":3,"text":"Spin-independent xenon and argon searches","anchor":"spin-independent-xenon-and-argon-searches"},{"level":3,"text":"Annual modulation: NaI(Tl) tests","anchor":"annual-modulation-nai-tl-tests"},{"level":3,"text":"Low-threshold and light dark matter","anchor":"low-threshold-and-light-dark-matter"},{"level":3,"text":"Axion and wave-like dark matter","anchor":"axion-and-wave-like-dark-matter"},{"level":3,"text":"Primordial black holes","anchor":"primordial-black-holes"},{"level":3,"text":"Quantitative benchmarks","anchor":"quantitative-benchmarks"},{"level":2,"text":"Open problems and active debates","anchor":"open-problems-and-active-debates"},{"level":2,"text":"Major programs and players","anchor":"major-programs-and-players"},{"level":2,"text":"Outlook: what to watch (next 12-18 months)","anchor":"outlook-what-to-watch-next-12-18-months"},{"level":2,"text":"Key papers","anchor":"key-papers"},{"level":2,"text":"Glossary","anchor":"glossary"}],"sample_claims":["The LZ 4.2 tonne-year WIMP search (280 live days) reports a minimum spin-independent WIMP-nucleon upper limit of 2.2 × 10^-48 cm² at 40 GeV/c² at 90% confidence, with exclusion limits only and no claimed detection.","LZ reports an exposure of 4.2 ± 0.1 tonne-years from 280 live days."],"includes":["markdown","claims","timeline","benchmarks","open_problems","key_papers","glossary","bibliography"],"citation_count":40,"how_to_buy":"GET https://space-kitty.com/api/v1/dossiers/dark-matter with an x402 client ($0.20, USDC on Base Sepolia (testnet))."}