Cosmological probes of dark matter properties

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Julien Lesgourgues
• Subject Area: Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields ; Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2017 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 352713884

Particle theorist are currently working on many Dark Matter scenarios beyond the simple WIMP model, motivated by the absence of robust evidence for Dark Matter from current dedicated experiments. We plan to propagate these new Dark Matter scenarios to cosmology, and to test their signature on high precision cosmological data, beyond the minimal framework of perfectly stable, decoupled and cold particles. We will derive new bounds on the dark matter annihilation cross-section, decay rate, scattering cross-section with other species, self-interaction rate and velocity dispersion. These bounds will be based on new CMB anisotropy data, new Large Scale Structure data, and also on the cross-correlation of these observations with the Fermi gamma-ray map.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants