This event will be in-person and on Zoom.

Dark Matter Cosmology

Vera Gluscevic, University of Southern California

Cosmological dark matter dominates structure in our universe, but it cannot be explained by any known particles or forces---rather, it reveals a tremendous gap in fundamental physics. Astrophysical structures we observe began as tiny perturbations in primordial plasma and retain memory of the fundamental physics of their infancy, offering a probe of dark matter paradigms that are impossible to test in particle-physics experiments. I will review the status of the recent cosmological searches for the identity of dark matter, in particular focusing on its interactions with normal matter, its particle mass, and its origins in the early universe. I will highlight the interplay between complementary probes of dark matter physics, focusing especially on the substructure in the Milky Way and its potential to resolve cosmological tensions. Finally, I will discuss the prospects for unveiling the physics of dark matter in the coming decade.

ZOOM INFO: https://ucsb.zoom.us/j/84217234934?pwd=Nk4ya1NLaWVMUVJLMEllcHJzQmRkdz09