Astrophysical constraints on the nature of dark matter

该项目的目标是揭示天体物理观测结果，这些观测结果可能会限制甚至揭示暗物质的身份。它将专注于几个关键的诊断：小质量暗物质晕、矮星系和恒星晕。小质量暗物质晕和矮星系是相关的，因为它们主要是由暗物质构成的，如果暗物质是冷的或热的，它们预计会有不同的性质。恒星晕是相关的，因为它们是由较小星系合并而成的星系的化石记录——它们的性质也可能取决于暗物质的性质。该项目主要是理论上的，但可能需要对实际天文数据进行一些分析。寻找小质量暗物质晕将依赖于强大的引力透镜技术，而其他两种诊断将严重依赖于宇宙学模拟，两者都使用遵循暗物质演化的n体模拟和遵循重子（或普通）物质演化的气体动力学模拟，以及可能来自DESI项目的观测数据，Durham是DESI项目的成员。模拟在技术上具有挑战性，但我们在达勒姆有一台新的大型超级计算机-宇宙学机器- 8 -和一个新的代码，SWIFT，这将使宇宙模拟比今天可能的大一个数量级。

The goal of this project is to uncover astrophysical observables that might constrain, or perhaps even reveal the identity of the dark matter. It will focus on several key diagnostics: small mass dark matter halos, dwarf galaxies and stellar halos. Small mass dark matter halos and dwarf galaxies are relevant because they are mostly made of dark matter and are expected to have different properties if the dark matter is cold or warm. Stellar halos are relevant because they are the fossil record of the assembly of galaxies by the merger of smaller galaxies - their properties too might depend on the nature of the dark matter. The project is primarily theoretical but some analysis of real astronomical data may be required. The search for small mass dark matter halos will rely on strong gravitational lensing techniques while the two other diagnostics will rely heavily on cosmological simulations, both using N-body simulations that follow the evolutionof the dark matter and gasdynamic simulations that follow, in addition, the evolution of baryonic (or ordinary) material, and on observational data perhaps from the DESI project of which Durham is a member. The simulations are technically challenging but we have a new large supercomputer at Durham - the Cosmology machine- 8 -- and a new code, SWIFT, that will enable cosmological simulations an order of magnitude larger than is possible today.