Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS April Meeting 2015
Volume 60, Number 4
Saturday–Tuesday, April 11–14, 2015; Baltimore, Maryland
Session R10: Invited Session: Exploring the Dark Side of the Universe: Progress and Open Questions |
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Sponsoring Units: DPF DAP Chair: Nicholas Hadley, University of Maryland Room: Key 6 |
Monday, April 13, 2015 10:45AM - 11:21AM |
R10.00001: Status and Outlook for the Direct Detection of Dark Matter Invited Speaker: Carter Hall The basic nature of the dark matter is one of the most compelling mysteries in all of fundamental physics. While the gravitational effects of dark matter are apparent in many astrophysical datasets, most models of particle dark matter imply that it should have other non-gravitational interactions as well. We address this prediction by searching for the local interaction of the Milky Way's dark matter halo within specialized detectors here on earth. Over the last thirty years, two classes of such experiments have been carried out: microwave-cavity axion searches, and WIMP nuclear-recoil searches. Both techniques have already covered substantial ground, and the next decade will see additional gains as the instrumental sensitivity continues to improve. This talk will review the current status of these searches and discuss the future prospects for the field. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 13, 2015 11:21AM - 11:57AM |
R10.00002: Early Science Results from the Dark Energy Survey Invited Speaker: Ashley Ross The Dark Energy Survey (DES) is a next-generation large galaxy survey designed to unravel the mystery of the nature of the dark energy that powers the current accelerated expansion of the Universe. The DES collaboration built and participated in the installation and commissioning of DECam, a 570 mega-pixel optical and near-infrared camera with a large 3 deg$^2$ field of view, set at the prime focus of the V\'ictor M. Blanco 4-meter telescope in at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. Using DECam, DES will map 5000 deg$^2$ to a depth $I_{AB}\sim24$ and observe designated supernova survey fields at high cadence. These data will allow DES to measure positions, approximate redshifts, and shapes for 300 million galaxies, the light-curves of several thousand supernovae, and the masses of tens of thousands of galaxy clusters. Using these data, DES will use four main probes to study the properties of dark energy: galaxy clustering on large scales, weak gravitational lensing, galaxy-cluster abundance, and supernova distances. I describe the early progress of the survey and provide highlights of the science analyses that have been completed so far. These include: large-scale galaxy clustering measurements; significant detection of a cross-correlation with SPT CMB lensing maps; galaxy-shear and shear-shear correlation function measurements; discoveries of super-luminous supernovae, dozens of strong lenses, and redshift $> 6$ quasars; and characterization of DES galaxy clusters and SNe1a light-curves. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 13, 2015 11:57AM - 12:33PM |
R10.00003: Cosmological Simulations of Dark Matter Invited Speaker: Mark Vogelsberger Dark matter is supposed to be the backbone of structure formation in the universe. It dominates the energy content of the universe together with dark energy. Modern computer simulation allow the detailed prediction of the distribution of dark matter on very large and small scales. The main inputs for these simulations are the initial conditions observed through the cosmic microwave background and gravity as the main force behind structure formation. I will present in my talk recent advances in cosmological simulations and how state-of-the-art simulations lead to virtual universes which agree remarkably well with observations of the real universe. Despite this success the small-scale structure predicted by these simulations does not agree perfectly with observations. I will discuss possible solutions to these problems that might also point to new theories of dark matter. [Preview Abstract] |
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