61. Search for Physics beyond the Standard Model with the CRESST Experiment2017, master's thesis Abstract: In spite of the successes of observational astro- and particle physics and cosmology very much of the universe remains unknown. The Standard Model of particle physics is a theory describing the electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear interactions, as well as classifying all the subatomic particles known. But there is overwhelming evidence, that all the known particles, the ordinary (baryonic) matter, the building blocks of planets, stars and ourselves, only make up about 4.9% of the energy content of the universe. The standard model of cosmology (CDM) indicates that the total mass-energy of the universe contains beside the 4.9% ordinary matter two other components: 26.8% dark matter and 68.3% dark energy. The accelerating expansion of the Universe is the result of the effect of the dark energy with its most simple form given by a cosmological constant in Einstein's Equation. Dark matter is an unidentified type of matter that is not accounted for by dark energy and neutrinos and is generally believed to be a non-relativistic, charge neutral and non-baryonic new form of matter. Although dark matter has not been directly observed yet, its existence and properties are inferred from its gravitational effects such as the motions of visible matter, gravitational lensing, its influence on the universe's large-scale structure, and its effects in the cosmic microwave background. Thus the search for Dark Matter is the search for physics beyond the standard model. Although the nature of dark matter is yet unknown, its presence is crucial to understanding the future of the universe. The CRESST experiment is searching for direct evidence in the form of a nuclear recoil induced on a scintillating CaWO4 crystal by a dark matter particle, and is installed and taking data underground at Laboratory Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in Italy. While both, dark energy and dark matter, have not been detected directly, a class of dark matter particles that interact only via gravity and the weak force, referred to asWeakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), has been established as the leading candidate among the dark matter community. For this thesis a special model of dark matter was studied, namely the dark photon. This thesis provides a detailed description of the calculation of the 90% upper limit on the dark photon kinetic mixing based on data from the second phase of the CRESST experiment. The analysis was carried out in a frequentist approach based on the (unbinned) maximum-likelihood method and likelihood ratios. To make a statement about the calculated result and its quality, the used algorithm had to be tested, what was done with Monte Carlo simulations (pseudo data).
Keywords: astro physics, particle physics, cosmology, universe, Standard Model of particle physics, standard model of cosmology, matter, ordinary matter, dark matter, dark energy, accelerating expansion of the Universe, non-baryonic, new form of matter, gravitational lensing, cosmic microwave background, search for physics beyond the standard model, CRESST experiment, direct detection, CaWO4 crystal, underground laboratory, Laboratory Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, WIMP, dark photon, 90% upper limit, upper limit, kinetic mixing, frequentist approach, unbinned, maximum likelihood
Published in RUNG: 13.10.2017; Views: 4717; Downloads: 0
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66. Dark Matter search with the Fermi Large Area TelescopeGabrijela Zaharijas, unpublished invited conference lecture Abstract: High energy gamma-rays are one of the most promising tools to constrain or reveal the nature of dark matter. During the almost eight years of the Fermi satellite mission, the data from its Large Area Telescope (LAT) were used to set constraints on the dark matter cross section to various particle channels which now cut well into the theoretically motivated region of the parameter space. In this talk I will describe methods used to search for evidence of dark matter with the LAT, and review the status of the searches. Special attention will be given to the latest indications of the origin of the unaccounted gamma-ray excess at few GeV in the Fermi-LAT data in the region around the Galactic Center, which steered lots of attention as it was shown to be consistent with putative signals of WIMP dark matter particles. Finally I will discuss projections of the expected sensitivities with continued LAT data taking.
Keywords: dark matter, Fermi LAT experiment
Published in RUNG: 21.06.2016; Views: 4953; Downloads: 0
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67. Sensitivity projections for dark matter searches with the Fermi large area telescopeGabrijela Zaharijas, Collaboration Fermi LAT, 2016, original scientific article Abstract: The nature of dark matter is a longstanding enigma of physics; it may consist of particles beyond the Standard Model that are still elusive to experiments. Among indirect searchtechniques, which look for stable products from the annihilation or decay of dark matter particles, or from axions coupling to high-energy photons, observations of the γ -ray sky have come to prominence over the last few years, because of the excellent sensitivity of the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope mission. The LAT energy range from 20 meV to above 300 GeV is particularly well suited for searching for products of the interactions of dark matter particles. In this report we describe methods used to search for evidence of dark matter with the LAT, and review the status of searches performed with up to six years of LAT data. We also discuss the factors that determine the sensitivities of these searches, including the magnitudes of the signals and the relevant backgrounds, considering both statistical and systematic uncertainties. We project the expected sensitivities of each search method for 10 and 15 years of LAT data taking. In particular, we find that the sensitivity of searches targeting dwarf galaxies, which provide the best limits currently, will improve faster than the square root of observing time. Current LAT limits for dwarf galaxies using six years of data reach the thermal relic level for masses up to 120 GeV for the bb ̄ annihilation channel for reasonable dark matter density profiles. With projected discoveries of additional dwarfs, these limits could extend to about 250 GeV. With as much as 15 years of LAT data these searches would be sensitive to dark matter annihilations at the thermal relic cross section for masses to greater than 400 GeV (200 GeV) in the bb ̄(τ+τ−) annihilation channels.
Keywords: dark matter, gamma rays
Published in RUNG: 20.06.2016; Views: 4792; Downloads: 0
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68. Constraints on the Galactic Dark Matter signal from the Fermi-LAT measurement of the diffuse gamma-ray emissionGabrijela Zaharijas, 2012, published scientific conference contribution Abstract: We study diffuse gamma-ray emission at intermediate Galactic latitudes measured by the Fermi Large Area Telescope with the aim of searching for a signal from dark matter annihilation or decay. In the absence of a robust dark matter signal, constraints are presented. We set both, conservative dark matter limits requiring that the dark matter signal does not exceed the observed diffuse gamma-ray emission and limits derived based on modeling the foreground astrophysical diffuse emission. Uncertainties in several parameters which characterize conventional astrophysical emission are taken into account using a profile likelihood formalism. The resulting limits impact the range of particle masses over which dark matter thermal production in the early Universe is possible, and challenge the interpretation of the PAMELA/Fermi-LAT cosmic ray anomalies as annihilation of dark matter.
Keywords: gamma rays, Galactic diffuse emission, dark matter serach
Published in RUNG: 03.05.2016; Views: 4575; Downloads: 0
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70. Asymmetric WIMP Dark Matter in the presence of DM/anti-DM OscillationsGabrijela Zaharijas, 2012, published scientific conference contribution abstract Abstract: The class of ‘Asymmetric Dark Matter’ scenarios relies on the existence of a primordial
particle/anti-particle asymmetry in the dark sector related to the baryon asymmetry as a
way to address the observed similarity between the baryonic and dark matter energy densities
today. Focusing on this framework we calculate the evolution of the dark matter relic
abundance in the presence of particle/anti-particle oscillations. We show how oscillations reopen
the parameter space of asymmetric dark matter models, in particular in the direction of
allowing large (WIMP-scale) DM masses. Finally, we constrain the parameter space in this
framework by applying up-to-date bounds from indirect detection signals on annihilating DM.
Keywords: dark matter, early universe
Published in RUNG: 23.03.2016; Views: 4776; Downloads: 0
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