Novel Astrophysical Probes of Exotic Particle Dark Matter

该奖项资助匹兹堡大学的安德鲁·曾特纳教授的研究活动。压倒性的优势证据表明，宇宙中85%的物质含量是以暗物质的形式存在的。暗物质是一种尚未被确认的物质形式。 暗物质的证据目前只来自它的引力，而这些证据已经在许多方面积累了世纪。然而，暗物质的身份和性质仍然未知。暗物质的性质和支配暗物质相互作用的物理定律可以在地球实验室中进行研究，也可以通过天文观测间接进行研究。 作为研究的一部分，Zentner教授旨在通过理论研究和天体物理观测的结合来进一步探索暗物质。暗物质超出了我们目前对自然界物质和力的理解。因此，暗物质研究通过进一步努力发现新形式的物质和可以操纵物质的新力量来促进国家利益。该项目有两个组成部分。在第一个项目中，Zentner教授将试图识别恒星中暗物质粒子特性的微妙特征，而在第二个项目中，他将建立更完整的理论模型，用于暗物质的产生和演化，这些模型可以通过对星系的大型天文调查进行测试。这两个组成部分将揭示有关暗物质及其相互作用的性质的线索。Zentner教授的研究也将产生更广泛的影响。特别是，Zentner教授将与一名研究生合作进行研究，该研究生将接受尖端暗物质研究的培训。 Zentner教授还计划建立一个项目，将当地的K-12教师与实践物理学家和天文学家配对，以便使教师能够将物理学和天文学带入课堂。每一对科学家/教师都将接受科学教育方面的专业培训，开发基于探究的课程，并在整个学年的几次课堂访问中共同教授课程。 在第一部分中，Zentner教授将模拟奇异暗物质候选者-特别是不对称暗物质，自相互作用暗物质和强相互作用暗物质-对恒星结构和恒星演化的影响。这些模拟将针对特定天体物理环境中的恒星种群建模，例如本星系群矮星系。然后，这些模拟的预测可以与这些天体物理环境中恒星群的详细天文观测进行比较，以确定是否可以在数据中识别暗物质的特定属性。在该提案的第二部分中，Zentner教授将建立所谓的光和超轻暗物质粒子候选者的更完整的理论模型。特别是，他将使用弯曲时空中量子场的半经典技术研究光和超光暗物质模型。通过这样做，他将更好地理解超轻暗物质的可能性以及超轻暗物质对宇宙结构演化的影响。这将反过来提供理论预测与观测数据的更深刻的比较，从而得出关于暗物质是否可能是尚未发现的超轻粒子的更具决定性的结论。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估而被认为值得支持。

This award funds the research activities of Professor Andrew Zentner at the University of Pittsburgh.An overwhelming preponderance of evidence indicates that 85% of the matter content of the Universe is in the form of dark matter. Dark matter is an as-yet-unidentified form of matter. Evidence for dark matter currently comes only from its gravitational pull and this evidence has been accumulating, on many fronts, for a century. The identity and properties of the dark matter nevertheless remain unknown. The nature of the dark matter and the physical laws governing the interactions of dark matter can be investigated in both earth-bound laboratories and indirectly through astronomical observations. As part of his research, Professor Zentner aims to further the quest to identify the dark matter through a combination of both theoretical investigations and astrophysical observations. Dark matter lies beyond our current understanding of matter and forces in nature. Consequently, dark matter research advances the national interest by furthering efforts to discover new forms of matter and new forces with which matter may be manipulated. This project has two components. In the first, Professor Zentner will attempt to identify subtle signatures of the properties of the dark matter particle in stars, while in the second he will build more complete theoretical models for the production and evolution of the dark matter that can be tested using large astronomical surveys of galaxies. Both components will reveal clues regarding the nature of dark matter and its interactions. Professor Zentner's research will also have significant broader impacts. In particular, Professor Zentner will conduct his research in collaboration with a graduate student who will thereby receive training in cuttting-edge dark matter research. Professor Zentner also plans to build a program to pair local K-12 teachers with practicing physicists and astronomers in order to enable the teachers to bring physics and astronomy into the classroom. Each scientist/teacher pair will receive professional training in science education, develop an inquiry-based curriculum, and co-teach the curriculum during several classroom visits throughout the academic year.In further technical detail, the two components of Professor Zentner's project are as follows. In the first component, Professor Zentner will simulate the effects of exotic dark matter candidates --- particularly asymmetric dark matter, self-interacting dark matter, and strongly-interacting dark matter --- on stellar structure and stellar evolution. These simulations will be tailored toward modeling stellar populations in specific astrophysical environments, such as Local Group dwarf galaxies. The predictions of these simulations can then be compared with detailed astronomical observations of stellar populations in these astrophysical environments to determine whether or not specific properties of the dark matter can be identified in the data. In the second component of this proposal, Professor Zentner will build more complete theoretical models of so-called light and ultra-light dark matter particle candidates. In particular, he will study light and ultra-light dark matter models using the semi-classical techniques of quantum fields in curved spacetimes. In so doing, he will develop a better understanding of the possibilities for ultra-light dark matter and the implications of ultra-light dark matter for the evolution of structure in the universe. This will, in turn, provide for more incisive comparisons of theoretical predictions with observational data that will yield more decisive conclusions on whether or not the dark matter may be an as-yet-undiscovered, ultra-light particle.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.