October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 1

David TobackTexas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar

September 2013

Cosmology, Particle Physics and Dark Matter

Outline• Cosmology and Particle Physics–Dark Matter–Evolution of the Universe

–DiscoveryCan we discover Dark Matter as a way of learning about our Universe?

September 2013

David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 2

Dark Matter

September 2012

David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 3

What is some of

the evidenc

e for Dark

matter?

September 2013

David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 4

As the Solar System Turns

Gravity and General Relativity

http://faculty.physics.tamu.edu/toback/Talks/Video/Lab4_SS1_video.swf

September 2012

David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 5

Is that what our galaxy, the Milky Way, looks like?

Do the stars orbit like the planets in our solar system?

Outer stars go around much more

slowly?

As the Galaxy Turns

http://faculty.physics.tamu.edu/toback/Talks/Video/Lab4_GX1_video_slow.swf

September 2013

David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 6

September 2012

David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 7

Lots of Dark Matter out there!

What’s the Matter in the

Universe?

No clue what this stuff is…

September 2012

David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 8

The Known Particles– No known

particles have the properties of Dark Matter

– Other credible reasons to believe there are new fundamental particles to be discovered

– Maybe Dark Matter is a New Particle!

October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 9

Hypothesis:The Dark Matter in the Universe is made up of LOTS of particles

that we haven’t discovered yet!Best Guess: Got created in the Early

Universe like everything else and is still here today!

Big Bang!

Then Universe gets bigger

Dark Matter = New Particle?

High energy collisions between particles in the early Universe If they created Dark Matter,

maybe we can watch it interact in an experiment with SM

matter now!

Make a Hypothesis based on Astronomy, Cosmology and Particle

Physics

Particle Physics Experiments

September 2013

David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 10

• Does LHC have enough energy to make new dark matter particles?

• Do dark matter particles interact with real matter so we can see them in experiments on earth?

• Do they annihilate and produce high energy particles we can see in other experiments?

CDMS Experiment

Best bet for discovery!