Dark Matter Freeze-out During SU(2)L Confinement

Watch a 25-minute physics lecture from Harvard CMSA's Workshop on Phase Transitions and Topological Defects in the Early Universe where UC Irvine researcher Jessica Howard explores a novel mechanism of dark matter production through SU(2)_L confinement. Discover how dark matter could potentially exist as paired SU(2)_L doublets that confine with Standard Model doublets to form pion-like objects during the weak sector confinement phase. Learn about solving Boltzmann equations to determine confinement scale and constituent dark matter mass requirements for observed relic density, while examining which parameter spaces avoid direct detection and collider constraints. Follow along through topics including particle physics fundamentals, cosmological history modifications, WIMP dark matter freeze-out calculations, confinement mechanics, pion mass analysis, experimental constraints, and key implications for dark matter theory.