Dark matter physics

Introduction to the dark matter puzzle. Examples of few popular extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics.

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• LambdaCDM cosmological model: evidence for dark matter and dark energy

• dark matter candidates and their particle properties, early Universe decoupling, dark matter clustering – N body simulations

• additional motivation for physics physics beyond standard model:

• neutrino masses,
• matter - antimatter asymmetry,
• hierarchy problem

• strong CP problem

• extensions of the standard model: supersymmetry, axions, sterile neutrinos

• experimental methods for DM searches
• direct
• indirect
• particle accelerators

Students will learn:

• reasons for extensions of the standard model with an example of few proposed particle physics models for its completion

• dark matter particle properties and the status of seraches for dark matter signals

• Paul Langacker, The Standard Model and Beyond (Series in High Energy Physics, Cosmology and Gravitation), CRC Press. E-version
• E. Kolb and M. Turner, The Early Universe (Frontiers in Physics), Addison-Wesley, 1986. E-version
• Gianfranco Bertone, Particle Dark Matter – Observations, Models and Searches, Cambridge University Press (2010). Catalogue

• oral exam
• seminar

Dr. Gabrijela Zaharijas je izredna profesorica za področje fizike na Univerzi v Novi Gorici. Dr. Gabrijela Zaharijas is associate professor of physics at the University of Nova Gorica. Doc. dr. Gabrijela Zaharijas is a researcher in high energy astrophysics, working both as a theorist and within two big experimental collaborations: the Fermi LAT (a NASA/European gamma ray satellite in its seventh year of mission) and the CTA (which is a worldwide experimental collaboration set to build a full kilometer square array of ground based gamma ray telescopes). Dr. Zaharijas developed her career at several institutes, both in the US (New York University and Argonne National Lab, Chicago) and Europe (Stockholm University, Centre for Atomic Energy in Paris and International Centre of Physics in Trieste) before joining the astroparticle group of the University of Nova Gorica.

Izbrane objave /selected recent publications (for the full list see http://inspirehep.net/search? ln=en&p=a+zaharijas&of=hb&action_search=Search&sf=earliestdate&so=d):

1. Abe, S. et al. (with G. Zaharijas), »Dark matter line searches with the Cherenkov Telescope Array”, Journal of cosmology and astroparticle physics- ISSN 1475-7516. - Vol. 2024, no. 7, 047, COBISS.si-ID 208755715
2. Stoppa, F. (with G. Zaharijas), »AutoSourceID-Classifier: star-galaxy classification using a convolutional neural network with spatial information«, Astronomy & astrophysics. - ISSN 1432-0746. - Vol. 680, A109, COBISS.si-ID 177027843
3. Caron, S. et al. (with G. Zaharijas), »Mind the gap [Elektronski vir] : the discrepancy between simulation and reality drives interpretations of the Galactic Center Excess«, Journal of cosmology and astroparticle physics - ISSN 1475-7516. - Vol. 2023, no. 6, 013, COBISS.si- ID 180889603
4. Michailidis, M. et al. (with G. Zaharijas), »Prospects for annihilating dark matter from M31 and M33 observations with the Cherenkov Telescope Array« [Elektronski vir], Journal of cosmology and astroparticle physics - ISSN 1475-7516. - Vol. 2023, no. 8, 073, COBISS.si- ID 222008323
5. Acharyya, A. et al. (with G. Zaharijas), »Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to a dark matter signal from the Galactic centre«, Journal of cosmology and astroparticle physics - ISSN 1475-7516. - Vol. 2021, no. 1,COBISS.si-ID 53262595