Physics & Astronomy Colloquium - Dr. Elena Pinetti, Flatiron Institute
Title: 'Hunting dark matter with the James Webb Space Telescope'
Abstract: Dark matter remains one of the most intriguing and enduring mysteries in modern physics. Among the wide variety of proposed candidates, those that decay into two particles—one of which is a photon—offer particularly distinctive observational signatures: nearly monochromatic emission lines that can stand out from the astrophysical background. For dark matter particles with masses around the electronvolt (eV) scale, these photons would lie in the optical and infrared spectral bands. In the era of multi-messenger astrophysics, dark matter can be explored through a diverse range of cosmic messengers and environments. In this talk, I will review the current status of these searches, with a special focus on axion dark matter, highlighting emerging observational strategies and opportunities enabled by the James Webb Space Telescope.
Informal discussion with coffee, tea, and snacks to follow.
Hosted by Assistant Professor Devin G. Walker and Professor Ryan Hickox
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
