Physicists are currently chasing one of the most elusive targets in the universe: dark matter. While it accounts for roughly 85 percent of all matter in existence, it remains invisible and nearly impossible to detect. Jessica Fry, a physics doctoral candidate at the Laboratory for Nuclear Science, is at the forefront of this hunt.
Fry balances her time between complex data analysis and long-standing personal interests. Before committing to physics, she spent years as a professional performer on Broadway. This background in theater, dance, and stage performance offers her a unique perspective on the persistence required for high-stakes research. She notes that the rigor of her training in dance informs her current approach to solving technical problems in the lab.
Her research centers on the axion, a theoretical particle that may explain the missing mass in our universe. Fry works with two specific experiments, ABRACADABRA and DMRadio, which look for faint electric currents generated when axions interact with strong magnetic fields. Because the signal is incredibly quiet, the team uses quantum amplifiers to pick it up, effectively tuning these detectors like a radio to find the correct frequency.
Collaborating with the Neutrino and Dark Matter Group, Fry remains committed to the challenge of identifying this phenomenon. She views the work as a manageable puzzle because the predicted signature of the axion is distinct from the environmental noise that usually complicates detection. Despite the difficulty of the task, she remains confident that experimental physics will succeed in revealing dark matter within her lifetime.
As she completes her final projects at the lab, Fry continues to value the importance of physical movement outside of the academic setting. By maintaining her practice in dance, she ensures she stays grounded during the intense periods of data gathering required for her doctoral work. She continues to prioritize this scientific mission, aiming to provide a clearer understanding of how the universe is constructed at its most fundamental level.