Probing Dark Matter Microphysics Using Stellar Streams

Explore cutting-edge research in dark matter physics through this seminar presentation by Aditya Parikh from Stony Brook University. Delve into the investigation of dark matter self-interactions and their potential detection through astrophysical and cosmological observations, with a particular focus on stellar streams. Learn about the systematic computation of dark matter scattering rates for various types of fermionic dark matter with light bosonic mediators, including vector, scalar, axial vector, and pseudoscalar interactions. Understand the nonrelativistic effective theory approach, including Sommerfeld enhancement calculations and coupled-channel analysis. Discover how stellar streams can serve as natural detectors for low-mass dark substructure and gain insights into the distinctive features created by both cold dark matter and self-interacting dark matter scenarios. Master the theoretical framework needed to distinguish between different dark matter models through their predicted observational signatures in astronomical systems.