3:30–4:30 pm KPTC 106
Katherine Freese (University of Texas at Austin) "The Cosmic Cocktail: Three Parts Dark Matter"
“What is the Universe made of?” This question is the longest outstanding problem in all of modern physics, and it is one of the most important research topics in cosmology and particle physics today. The bulk of the mass in the Universe is thought to consist of a new kind of dark matter particle, and the hunt for its discovery is on. I'll start by discussing the evidence for the existence of dark matter in galaxies, and then show how it fits into a big picture of the Universe containing 5% atoms, 25% dark matter, and 70% dark energy. Neutrinos only constitute 1⁄2% of the content of the Universe, but much can be learned about neutrino properties from cosmological data. Leading candidates for the dark matter are Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), axions, sterile neutrinos, primordial black holes, and light dark matter. I’ll discuss multiple approaches to experimental dark matter searches: at CERN in Geneva, in underground laboratories, with gravitational wave experiments, with space telescopes, and even using DNA. Claims of WIMP detection by the DAMA experiment keep getting more puzzling and the interpretation in terms of dark matter will be tested soon. I’ll tell you about our novel idea of Dark Stars, early stars powered by dark matter heating, and the possibility that the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope could find them. I’ll mention new approaches to test the nature of Dark Matter: the GAIA satellite and stellar streams as tests of the Cold Dark Matter paradigm. At the end of the talk I'll briefly turn to dark energy and its effect on the fate of the Universe.
