Lecture

Astroparticle Physics: Dark Matter and Galaxy Dynamics

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In course

PHYS-439: Introduction to astroparticle physics

We provide a comprehensive overview of astroparticle physics, bridging the microworld of cosmic messengers with the large-scale structure and evolution of the Universe. We also explore the detection techniques and technologies that make this investigation ...

Description

This lecture introduces astroparticle physics, covering topics such as dark matter, WIMPs, Big Bang nucleosynthesis, and the thermal history of the Universe. It explores the rotation curves of galaxies, the velocity dispersion of elliptical galaxies, and the presence of dark matter in galaxy clusters. The lecture also discusses direct detection experiments for dark matter, including the search for WIMPs and the annual modulation effect. Various methods for detecting dark matter, such as gravitational lensing and X-ray observations in galaxy clusters, are explained. The presentation concludes with a discussion on the limits of the WIMP-nuclei interaction cross-section.

Instructors (2)

Andrii Neronov

Chiara Perrina

Teaching & PhD PhD Students Kimberly Sarah Keyser, Irwin Khai Cheng Tay Past EPFL PhD Students as codirector Jennifer Maria FriedenMaster's theses Loîs NiggliParzival NussbaumFlorian Simmenauer (Project carried out at the University of Geneva in the AMS experiment)Kimberly KeyserLéonard LebrunPhysics Research Training Semester Kimberly Keyser

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Astronomy

Astrophysics: Stellar astronomy, Physical cosmology

Related concepts (32)

Galaxy

A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, and dark matter bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek galaxias (γαλαξίας), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System. Galaxies, averaging an estimated 100 million stars, range in size from dwarfs with less than a hundred million stars, to the largest galaxies known – supergiants with one hundred trillion stars, each orbiting its galaxy's center of mass.

Chronology of the universe

The chronology of the universe describes the history and future of the universe according to Big Bang cosmology. Research published in 2015 estimates the earliest stages of the universe's existence as taking place 13.8 billion years ago, with an uncertainty of around 21 million years at the 68% confidence level. For the purposes of this summary, it is convenient to divide the chronology of the universe since it originated, into five parts.

Galaxy rotation curve

The rotation curve of a disc galaxy (also called a velocity curve) is a plot of the orbital speeds of visible stars or gas in that galaxy versus their radial distance from that galaxy's centre. It is typically rendered graphically as a plot, and the data observed from each side of a spiral galaxy are generally asymmetric, so that data from each side are averaged to create the curve. A significant discrepancy exists between the experimental curves observed, and a curve derived by applying gravity theory to the matter observed in a galaxy.

Big Bang

The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the earliest known periods through its subsequent large-scale form. These models offer a comprehensive explanation for a broad range of observed phenomena, including the abundance of light elements, the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, and large-scale structure.

Big Bang nucleosynthesis

In physical cosmology, Big Bang nucleosynthesis (also known as primordial nucleosynthesis, and abbreviated as BBN) is the production of nuclei other than those of the lightest isotope of hydrogen (hydrogen-1, 1H, having a single proton as a nucleus) during the early phases of the universe. This type of nucleosynthesis is thought by most cosmologists to have occurred from 10 seconds to 20 minutes after the Big Bang.

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