Why haven't we discovered dark matter yet?

by Prof. Felix Kahlhöfer (KIT)

Thursday 18 Apr 2024, 16:15 → 17:30 Europe/Berlin

D 114 (ENC)

Abstract: We have known for over half a century that dark matter exists, and for over twenty years that it constitutes the dominant form of matter in the universe. Yet, in spite of huge experimental efforts, we still have not been able to detect dark matter particles in the laboratory in order to determine their properties. In this talk, I will discuss the possible reasons for this lack of success and the lessons that we can learn from them for dark matter research. I will argue that, first of all, we need to expand the coverage of existing experiments by considering new signatures and analysis strategies. Furthermore, we must identify and develop ambitious new experiments that complement the existing search programme. And finally, we need to find ways to challenge the nightmare scenario that dark matter particles are fundamentally unobservable in the laboratory. This discussion leads to an even more difficult question: When will we finally discover dark matter?

Einladender: Alexander Lenz / CPPS