Dark Matter Astrophysics
arXiv:0907.1912
Abstract
These lectures are intended to provide a brief pedagogical review of dark matter for the newcomer to the subject. We begin with a discussion of the astrophysical evidence for dark matter. The standard weakly-interacting massive particle (WIMP) scenario--the motivation, particle models, and detection techniques--is then reviewed. We provide a brief sampling of some recent variations to the standard WIMP scenario as well as some alternatives (axions and sterile neutrinos). Exercises are provided for the reader.
Based on lectures given by MK at the Villa Olmo School on "The Dark Side of the Universe," 14--18 May 2007 and by KS at the XIX Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days, 8--12 October 2007. 33 pages, 15 figures
References in corpus (12)
- Observation of an anomalous positron abundance in the cosmic radiation
- Evidence Of Dark Matter Annihilations In The WMAP Haze
- Improved Spin-Dependent WIMP Limits from a Bubble Chamber
- Gamma-ray continuum emission from the inner Galactic region as observed with INTEGRAL/SPI
- Dipolar Dark Matter
- Galactic Substructure and Direct Detection of Dark Matter
- Dark-Matter-Induced Weak Equivalence Principle Violation
- Angular Signatures of Annihilating Dark Matter in the Cosmic Gamma-Ray Background
- Galaxy Satellites and the Weak Equivalence Principle
- Can proper motions of dark-matter subhalos be detected?
- Cosmic 21-cm Fluctuations as a Probe of Fundamental Physics
- SPI observations of positron annihilation radiation from the 4th galactic quadrant: sky distribution