The universe is filled with a mysterious, invisible substance known as dark matter. Dark matter permeates space, shapes the size and evolution of the cosmos and governs the motions of stars and galaxies. The universe is 85% dark matter—yet we have no idea what it is. Theories for the nature of dark matter span an enormous range, including a new class of massive fundamental particles, ultra-light wave-like particles, or even asteroid-sized black holes. Uncovering the actual composition of dark matter is one of the most profound and pressing questions in physics and astronomy.
Thankfully, even the invisible can be revealed through their gravitational pull on luminous matter. The Milky Way is laced with dozens of delicate streams of stars that can serve as dark matter detectors, though the expected signal is too faint for existing instruments. To overcome this limitation, the Via Project is developing powerful new instruments to trace the subtle signatures of dark matter in the motions of millions of stars across the Milky Way. These instruments will be deployed on the largest telescopes on Earth to carry out the most sensitive, all-sky stellar survey in history.
This project will support the design, assembly, testing and deployment of the Viaspec spectrographs. Upon completion of this project, the spectrographs will be ready to map the Milky Way and reveal the hidden universe that surrounds us.
