Cora Uhlemann (Newcastle): Making dark matter waves - the cosmic web and wavelike dark matter (joint with PPRC)

When: Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Where: Physics (G. O. Jones building) Room 610 & online, Mile End

Speaker: Cora Uhlemann (Newcastle)

Despite the astonishing success of cosmological probes in constraining the LCDM model, the dark matter mass remains one of the least constrained physical parameters. Wavelike dark matter is an intriguing alternative to standard cold dark matter with key particle physics motivations (like the QCD axion or ultralight axion-like particles) and distinct astrophysical signatures. With a simple dynamical model for the evolution of the dark matter wavefunction, I will demonstrate how to predict the formation of destructive and constructive wave interference leading to topological defects and granules dressing the cosmic web of large-scale structure. Our wave-based formalism is a versatile tool to describe the complex phase-space dynamics of cold dark matter in position space; and the fundamental description for wavelike dark matter such as ultralight particles, leading to exciting and varied probing mechanisms bridging cosmology and astroparticle physics.