Speaker
Description
Dark matter (DM) is a key component of modern cosmology, driving structure formation and influencing the evolution of the Universe. Observations of large-scale structure therefore provide a powerful avenue for probing the fundamental properties of DM. If DM has any non-gravitational interactions, these will modify the thermal and perturbation history of the early Universe, leaving characteristic imprints on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and weak gravitational lensing signals. Precise surveys can thus be used to test the nature of DM.
In this talk, I will discuss three classes of DM models: Mirror Twin Higgs DM, DM–baryon interactions, and DM–neutrino interactions. All three alter the evolution of cosmological perturbations in the early Universe. By combining these theoretical models with N-body simulations to capture nonlinear structure formation, we can use weak lensing surveys to probe the particle nature of DM.