Abstract: Dark matter is one of the primary unsolved problems in modern particle physics. Since the late 1980s, physicists have been trying to directly detect dark matter particles passing through the Earth, typically by searching for nuclear recoils. This search …
Vetri Velan (UC Berkeley) “The Present and Future of Dark Matter Direct Detection” Read More »
Abstract: Despite overwhelming evidence of abundant dark matter in the Universe, the nature of this material remains a mystery. The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is an upcoming NASA Antarctic balloon mission to search for signatures of dark matter annihilation or …
Abstract: Neutrinos exist in one of three types or “flavors” (νe ,νµ or ντ ), which oscillate from one to another when propagating through space. This phenomenon is one of the few that cannot be described using the Standard Model …
Alissa Monte (UCSB) "Using Active Vetoes and Hydrogen Doping to Strengthen Dark Matter Discovery Potential with Xenon" Abstract: The fact that 85% of the gravitating mass in the universe is invisible is one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in fundamental …
Abstract: Despite nearly four decades of direct searches, the identity of dark matter in the universe is still unknown. The hunt for dark matter is especially alluring because, not only is this abundant substance extremely elusive, it also holds promise: …
Abstract: Discovering the particle properties of dark matter is a global undertaking, necessitating many experimental approaches to cover the vast range of possible models. Massive particles such as WIMPs remain leading candidates, and may be within the reach of state-of-the-art …
ABSTRACT: While the Lambda-CDM cosmological model is remarkably effective at describing the Universe and its evolution as a whole, foundational questions remain. Where did the primordial fluctuations come from and why were they so uniform? What is causing the present-day …
Abstract: One of the most striking mysteries in modern astrophysics manifests itself as an absence of matter needed to form a narrative consistent with our current understanding of the universe. A promising candidate for the so-called "dark matter" is the …
Abstract: The study of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropies has become a percent-level science constraining the accepted cosmological model ΛCDM. The most powerful measurements thus far have been made from space, but observations from the Earth’s surface can be …
Abstract: The BICEP program has thus far constrained the tensor scalar ratio r<0.036, approaching the gravitational lensing floor. This was possible in large part because of innovations in detector technology at JPL. In my talk, I will describe the antenna-coupled …