ITC Colloquium - Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (UNH)

"Cosmic Probes of the Dark Sector"

Abstract: In this talk, I will describe my efforts to understand the nature of the mysterious dark matter. I will give some insight into how I am using a range of tools -- model building, computation, and neutron stars -- to get at the basic question of “what is the statistical mechanics of dark matter?” I will show that the details of ultralight axion models can shift the astrophysical phenomenology and also that neutron stars are potentially interesting dark matter constraint laboratories. From the optical to the X-ray and gamma-ray universe, astrophysics has a role to play in understanding the details of this major problem in particle physics.