Annika Peter (Ohio State U.)

Snuffing Out Dark Matter

How will we recognize dark matter when we see it?  And what kinds of particle properties may it have?  In this talk, I will discuss two aspects of finding and characterizing dark matter.  First, I will discuss a new signal for WIMP dark matter: gravitational focusing in direct-detection experiments.  This effect leads to an energy-dependent phase-shift in the peak direct-detection event rate throughout the year.  I will discuss this in light of current putative annual-modulation claims. Second, I will talk about strong dark-matter self-interactions and astronomical observations.  I will show that large cross sections may be lurking, and how different types of self-interactions lead to different dark-matter interpretations of observations of matter distributions in the sky

Oct 29 at 4pm in Geo/Phys Room 407