The Expanding Frontier of Direct Detection Experiments
by
Prof.David Cerdeno
(IFT Madrid Spain)
→
Europe/Rome
Description
Abstract:
Direct detection experiments have long been at the forefront of the search for particle dark matter, particularly in the context of thermally produced weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). As sensitivities improve, these experiments are entering a new era, driven both by the approach to irreducible backgrounds such as neutrino scattering and by an increasing focus on low-mass dark matter. Together, these developments are transforming direct detection experiments into versatile probes of a broad range of new physics. In this colloquium, I will discuss searches for light dark matter, which test alternative production mechanisms such as freeze-in and non-standard cosmologies, as well as models predicting mixed signals from multiple dark matter components. I will also highlight the potential to probe new neutrino physics through non-standard interactions in a way that is complementary to dedicated neutrino experiments. Together, these avenues illustrate how direct detection experiments are expanding far beyond their original mission, opening windows onto the hidden sectors of the universe.
