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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 48: Hauptvorträge IV

T 48.1: Hauptvortrag

Mittwoch, 27. März 2019, 11:00–11:45, H01

The Quest for the Nature of Dark Matter: Direct Searches — •Uwe G. Oberlack — Institute of Physics & PRISMA⁺ Excellence Cluster, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Non-baryonic Dark Matter is five to six times more abundant than "regular" baryonic matter in the universe. Evidence to this conclusion is multi-facetted and solid, ranging in scale from galaxies to the observable universe. Dark Matter is key to the formation of cosmic structure from an early smooth stage as witnessed by the Cosmic Microwave Background to the rich structures observed with galaxy surveys today. Yet, the nature of Dark Matter remains unknown.

Interpreted as a new type of particle, Dark Matter constitutes one of our most direct evidences for physics beyond the Standard Model. Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) describe a broad class of well-motivated Dark Matter candidates, left over as a thermal relic from the early hot universe. Bound by the galactic gravitational potential, WIMPs carry velocities around 10⁻³ c and are expected to scatter off of atomic nuclei. Direct search experiments are searching for the minute signals from these nuclear recoils with low-background detectors underground. The range of WIMP masses being tested through their keV-size spectra extends from the sub-GeV to the ∼ 10 TeV scale. This talk focuses on recent progress and future perspectives in the field.