Particle colliders in the sky

Annika Peter (UC Irvine/Ohio State)

October 24, 2016

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Abstract: Dark matter makes up a quarter of the mass-energy budget of the Universe, yet its true identity remains a mystery. While traditional particle experiments, including particle colliders like the LHC, are the best-known testers of dark- matter physics, the potential for astronomy to weigh in on dark-matter properties is enormous. In this talk, I discuss particle models for dark matter, and how we can use astronomical observations to probe the fundamental particle properties of dark matter. In particular, I will focus on the collisions of the large galaxy clusters, and show what can be learned about the nature of dark matter from these massive particle colliders in the sky.