Freeze-in: Problems and Opportunities in Dark Matter Production

Explore the intricacies of Freeze-in Dark Matter Production (FIMP) in this comprehensive lecture by Francesco Costa from the University of Göttingen, Germany. Delve into the challenges and potential solutions surrounding FIMP dark matter, including the implications of tiny couplings between dark matter and standard model particles. Examine the necessity of assuming negligible initial abundance and the role of gravitational production in the early universe. Discover how consistent freeze-in models can be constructed by incorporating a matter-dominated epoch to dilute initial dark matter abundance, leading to "late" reheating. Investigate the significance of direct detection in constraining parameter space at low reheating temperatures, where coupling can be much higher than standard values. Analyze the smooth transition between freeze-in and freeze-out phases, contrasting with the standard high reheating temperature scenario. Gain valuable insights into this complex topic through this 1-hour and 14-minute presentation from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies DIAS.