Physics (Internal)

Boosted Dark Matter at Super-Kamiokande

This event is part of the PhD Final Oral Exams.

Examining Committee: Edward Kearns, Christopher Grant, Robert Carey, Emanuel Katz, Alexander Sushkov

Abstract:

There has long been ample evidence for the existence of dark matter. Based on observation of the Cosmic Microwave Background, dark matter accounts for about 25% of the energy density of the Universe. Beyond this, however, little is known about the properties of dark matter. Direct and indirect detection searches, as well as searches for dark matter produced at particle accelerators, have thus far all produced null results. I will present a brief history of dark matter experimental results, and then discuss a class of dark matter models called "boosted" dark matter. In these models, some small fraction of dark matter is produced at late times at relativistic energies, thus the name "boosted". I will then present the results of a search for boosted dark matter from the Galactic Center and the Sun at Super-Kamiokande.