Göttingen 2012 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 7: Eingeladene Vorträge 2

T 7.2: Eingeladener Vortrag

Dienstag, 28. Februar 2012, 14:35–15:05, ZHG 010

Weakly Interacting Slim Particles (WISPs) — •Javier Redondo — Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, Munich

Extensions of the standard model of particle physics predict and/or accommodate new very weakly interacting slim particles (WISPs), such as axions, axion-like particles, hidden sector photons, mini-charged particles, etc. In this talk I review the theoretical frameworks in which some of the most interesting candidates appear and comment on their phenomenological implications. Despite being quite light, WISPs can provide all the dark matter of the universe and/or account for dark radiation, which seems to be favored by cosmological data. WISPs could also be behind some intriguing astrophysical anomalies such as the high transparency of the universe for gamma-rays or the fast cooling of white dwarfs. Finally I will describe the challenges and opportunities for discovering these particles in laboratory experiments such as light-shining-through-walls, solar WISP telescopes, and resonant cavities searching for WISPy dark matter. Currently, a new generation of experiments is under development that will push this low-energy-frontier much beyond existing limits. Thus, exciting times for WISP physics are ahead.