79 research outputs found
Dark matter direct detection from new interactions in models with spin-two mediators
We consider models where a massive spin-two resonance acts as the mediator between Dark Matter (DM) and the SM particles through the energy-momentum tensor. We examine the effective theory for fermion, vector and scalar DM generated in these models and find novel types of DM-SM interaction never considered before. We identify the effective interactions between DM and the SM quarks when the mediator is integrated out, and match them to the gravitational form factors relevant for spin-independent DM-nucleon scattering. We also discuss the interplay between DM relic density conditions, direct detection bounds and collider searches for the spin-two mediator
Spectral Distortions of the CMB as a Probe of Inflation, Recombination, Structure Formation and Particle Physics
Following the pioneering observations with COBE in the early 1990s, studies
of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) have focused on temperature and
polarization anisotropies. CMB spectral distortions - tiny departures of the
CMB energy spectrum from that of a perfect blackbody - provide a second,
independent probe of fundamental physics, with a reach deep into the primordial
Universe. The theoretical foundation of spectral distortions has seen major
advances in recent years, which highlight the immense potential of this
emerging field. Spectral distortions probe a fundamental property of the
Universe - its thermal history - thereby providing additional insight into
processes within the cosmological standard model (CSM) as well as new physics
beyond. Spectral distortions are an important tool for understanding inflation
and the nature of dark matter. They shed new light on the physics of
recombination and reionization, both prominent stages in the evolution of our
Universe, and furnish critical information on baryonic feedback processes, in
addition to probing primordial correlation functions at scales inaccessible to
other tracers. In principle the range of signals is vast: many orders of
magnitude of discovery space could be explored by detailed observations of the
CMB energy spectrum. Several CSM signals are predicted and provide clear
experimental targets, some of which are already observable with present-day
technology. Confirmation of these signals would extend the reach of the CSM by
orders of magnitude in physical scale as the Universe evolves from the initial
stages to its present form. The absence of these signals would pose a huge
theoretical challenge, immediately pointing to new physics.Comment: Astro2020 Science White Paper, 5 pages text, 13 pages in total, 3
Figures, minor update to reference
Parity Violation in Graviton Non-gaussianity
We study parity violation in graviton non-gaussianity generated during
inflation. We develop a useful formalism to calculate graviton non-gaussianity.
Using this formalism, we explicitly calculate the parity violating part of the
bispectrum for primordial gravitational waves in the exact de Sitter spacetime
and prove that no parity violation appears in the non-gaussianity. We also
extend the analysis to slow-roll inflation and find that the parity violation
of the bispectrum is proportional to the slow-roll parameter. We argue that
parity violating non-gaussianity can be tested by the CMB. Our results are also
useful for calculating three-point function of the stress tensor in the
non-conformal field theory through the gravity/field theory correspondence.Comment: v2:style changed to JHEP, 21 pages, references added; v3: published
version in JHE
Snowmass2021 theory frontier white paper: Astrophysical and cosmological probes of dark matter
While astrophysical and cosmological probes provide a remarkably precise and consistent picture of the quantity and general properties of dark matter, its fundamental nature remains one of the most significant open questions in physics. Obtaining a more comprehensive understanding of dark matter within the next decade will require overcoming a number of theoretical challenges: the groundwork for these strides is being laid now, yet much remains to be done. Chief among the upcoming challenges is establishing the theoretical foundation needed to harness the full potential of new observables in the astrophysical and cosmological domains, spanning the early Universe to the inner portions of galaxies and the stars therein. Identifying the nature of dark matter will also entail repurposing and implementing a wide range of theoretical techniques from outside the typical toolkit of astrophysics, ranging from effective field theory to the dramatically evolving world of machine learning and artificial-intelligence-based statistical inference. Through this work, the theory frontier will be at the heart of dark matter discoveries in the upcoming decade
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The Simons Observatory: Science goals and forecasts
The Simons Observatory (SO) is a new cosmic microwave background experiment
being built on Cerro Toco in Chile, due to begin observations in the early
2020s. We describe the scientific goals of the experiment, motivate the design,
and forecast its performance. SO will measure the temperature and polarization
anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background in six frequency bands: 27, 39,
93, 145, 225 and 280 GHz. The initial configuration of SO will have three
small-aperture 0.5-m telescopes (SATs) and one large-aperture 6-m telescope
(LAT), with a total of 60,000 cryogenic bolometers. Our key science goals are
to characterize the primordial perturbations, measure the number of
relativistic species and the mass of neutrinos, test for deviations from a
cosmological constant, improve our understanding of galaxy evolution, and
constrain the duration of reionization. The SATs will target the largest
angular scales observable from Chile, mapping ~10% of the sky to a white noise
level of 2 K-arcmin in combined 93 and 145 GHz bands, to measure the
primordial tensor-to-scalar ratio, , at a target level of .
The LAT will map ~40% of the sky at arcminute angular resolution to an expected
white noise level of 6 K-arcmin in combined 93 and 145 GHz bands,
overlapping with the majority of the LSST sky region and partially with DESI.
With up to an order of magnitude lower polarization noise than maps from the
Planck satellite, the high-resolution sky maps will constrain cosmological
parameters derived from the damping tail, gravitational lensing of the
microwave background, the primordial bispectrum, and the thermal and kinematic
Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effects, and will aid in delensing the large-angle
polarization signal to measure the tensor-to-scalar ratio. The survey will also
provide a legacy catalog of 16,000 galaxy clusters and more than 20,000
extragalactic sources
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