XENON dark matter experiment

XENON dark matter experiment. Apparatus used in tests for the XENON experiment (started in 2006) to look for dark matter. The experiment looks for nuclear recoils in a liquid xenon target chamber. The existence of dark matter is inferred from its gravitational effects on the universe at large scales. The XENON experiment looks for a form of dark matter known as weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). This exhibit was photographed on 1 October 2016 at the NIKHEF (National Institute for Subatomic Physics) building at the University of Amsterdam Science Park, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. This open day is part of the wider 'Weekend of Science' (weekend van de wetenschap) held in the Netherlands. Scientific institutions throughout the country hold public events and displays.