Even lighter particle dark matter

Particle Dark Matter

There is plenty of evidence that most matter in the universe is dark (non–luminous). Particle physics offers several possible explanations. In this talk I focus on cold dark matter; the most promising candidates are then axions and the lightest supersymmetric particle. I briefly summarize estimates for the present relic density of these particles, and describe efforts to detect them. To appear ...

Dark Matter and Particle Physics

Astrophysicists now know that 80% of the matter in the universe is ‘dark matter’, composed of neutral and weakly interacting elementary particles that are not part of the Standard Model of particle physics. I will summarize the evidence for dark matter. I will explain why I expect dark matter particles to be produced at the CERN LHC. We will then need to characterize the new weakly interacting ...

Particle Candidates for Dark Matter

Experimental Particle Dark Matter Search

After introducing several aspects of the motivation for particle dark matter search, experimental principles and the present state of the main experiments are presented. Direct searches for WIMPs are explained in some detail; indirect WIMP searches and axion searches are presented more briefly.

Particle components of dark matter.

Particle candidates for astrophysical dark matter are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the lightest supersymmetric particle and the axion. The former is now constrained by accelerator experiments to have a mass above about 40 GeV, and ongoing searches at accelerators, in space, and in underground experiments have a good chance to detect it. A reevaluation of the constraint on the axion fro...