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Girton College, Cambridge December 2008. The relative importance of the nature of DM is huge. Identify anomalous features in cosmic-ray spectra. Deduce constraints on Dark Matter properties by fitting to observations. Calculate local fluxes of DM annihilation/decay products.
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Girton College, Cambridge December 2008 The relative importance of the nature of DM is huge. Identify anomalous features in cosmic-ray spectra Deduce constraints on Dark Matter properties by fitting to observations Calculate local fluxes of DM annihilation/decay products Daniel Cumberbatch • Universal Matter: • 20% Baryons (i.e. Protons, Neutrons and Electrons) • 80% Dark Matter (???) • Presence of DM directly detected though gravitational anomalies (e.g. galactic rotation curves, peculiar motion of galaxies in clusters, large scale structure) • Present Research: The Indirect Detection of DM • Identification of DM through annihilation/decay products: • 7 papers constraining the properties of 6 DM candidates: • Supersymmetric neutralinos • Light Dark Matter • Sterile neutrinos • Late-decaying Particles • Compact Composite Objects • Higgs Portal Dark Matter • Broadened knowledge of Particle Phenomenology • Furthered experience in calculation of local fluxes of DM annihilation/decay products
Girton College, Cambridge December 2008 LOw Frequency Array (LOFAR) • Radio Interferometer • Observes galaxies/clusters • DM annihilation products heat H gas • Significantly effects thermal evolution of H • Observed by LOFAR in 21(1+z) cm signal • Model spatial distribution of DM • Constrain DM from LOFAR observations Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (FGST) • Observes high energy radiation • High resolution all-sky gamma-ray map • DM satellites predicted to traverse galaxy • Constrain DM properties from: • Unique elongated emission (i.e. comet like) • Non-astrophysical energy spectra XMM-Newton/Chandra X-ray Observatory • X-ray observations of galaxies/clusters • Significant in constraining sterile neutrino decay rates (s + ). • Particularly in objects of low brightness • Utilise new data to constrain decay rates of s described by unexcluded models. The immediate prospects for the indirect detection of DM are very promising, owing to the numerous experiments that are scheduled to release results over the next few years. Daniel Cumberbatch • Future Research: Continuation of D.Phil. research • Taking advantage of lucrative opportunities made possible by several recently activated experiments: