Toward New Astrophysical Insights on Particle Dark Matter

大量的观测表明，一种未知形式的暗物质推动了宇宙结构的增长。在这个问题上，一些独立的项目有望取得重大的实验进展，包括在地球上的复杂实验中直接寻找影响原子核的暗物质粒子，间接寻找轰击地球的宇宙射线中暗物质的特征，以及恒星和星系的性质。暗物质识别计划中可能存在的一个薄弱环节是，对直接和间接暗物质搜索相关现象的理论预测仍然不足以满足实验技术的预期改进。提出的项目是一个广泛的理论计划，以提高对暗物质直接和间接搜索实验信号的预测。预计该项目还将产生更广泛的重大影响。参与这项研究计划的研究生和本科生将培养独特的技能。根据这项建议，PI将继续开展许多教育和外展项目。这些项目包括开发关于能量物理学和运动物理学的普通教育课程，在阿勒格尼天文台进行公开讲座，在卡内基科学中心举办教育活动，并参与卡内基科学中心的项目，以培养学龄儿童对科学的兴趣。

Numerous observations indicate that an unidentified form of dark matter drives the growth of structure in the Universe. Significant experimental progress on this issue is anticipated from a number of independent projects, including direct searches for dark matter particles impacting nuclei in sophisticated experiments on Earth and indirect searches for signatures of dark matter in cosmic rays that bombard the Earth as well as the properties of stars and galaxies. A possible weak link in the dark matter identification program is that theoretical predictions for phenomena relevant to direct and indirect dark matter searches remain inadequate to address expected improvements in experimental techniques. The proposed project is a broad theoretical program to improve the predictions for signals in dark matter direct and indirect search experiments. This project is also envisioned to have significant broader impacts. The graduate and undergraduate students participating in this research program will cultivate unique skill sets. The PI will continue numerous education and outreach projects under this proposal. These projects include the development of general education courses on the physics of energy and the physics of sports, public lectures at the Allegheny Observatory, educational events at the Carnegie Science Center, and participation in the Carnegie Science Center's programs to foster interest in science in school-aged children.