News: Research

UChicago astrophysicists’ physics-based models suggest dark energy may be evolving

Professors Paolo Privitera (Astronomy & Astrophysics and KICP) and Andrew Cleland (PME) have received a 2025-2027 DARPA award to develop novel qubit-based detectors of low-energy neutrinos.  The UChicago-led consortium supported by the QuSeN (Quantum Sensing of Neutrinos) program includes Northwestern University, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of California San Diego and Fermilab.

UChicago scientists probe the nature of mysterious ‘hidden-sector’ dark matter in DAMIC-M experiment

Webb telescope helps scientists narrow down the search for “Earth twin” planets

Study measuring magnetic field near the center of the Milky Way helps to decode the precise astrophysical dynamics at the heart of our galaxy

Study of the cosmic microwave background adds new depth to our understanding of universe

For a keen mind, the right mentor can make a world of difference. This may be especially true for students at the University of Chicago as they immerse in discovery. The relationships students build with their mentors support them as they connect with research opportunities, explore their passions and test their mettle against tough problems and enduring questions.

Team led by UChicago scientist Wendy Freedman using James Webb Space Telescope finds no evidence of tension in Hubble Constant

UChicago analysis of new and old data suggests the signal is weak and explainable by other molecules

The search for life beyond Earth is no longer science fiction—it takes a lot of data, powerful telescopes and a bit of cosmic detective work. And at the center of this search is University of Chicago astrophysicist Jacob Bean. Bean was part of the team that made history by detecting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a distant planet using the James Webb Space Telescope—a major step forward in our ability to study exoplanets.

The DAMIC-M experiment, led by Prof. Paolo Privitera, has released new results on the search for dark matter particles with its prototype detector operating at the Modane Underground Laboratory in France. With an improvement of orders of magnitude in sensitivity with respect to any other detector technology, DAMIC-M new results exclude for the first time that dark matter may be primarily composed of hidden-sector particles with sub-GeV mass. The Chicago group played a  leading role in the detector design, underground installation and commissioning, and data analysis.

MAROON-X instrument finds evidence for planets around famous Barnard’s Star

Analysis of cosmic microwave background reinforces Hubble constant measurement

A "totally new phenomenon" has been discovered by astronomers in a strange galaxy from the dawn of time.

SkAI Institute will develop AI tools and accelerate astronomy’s data-driven revolution