Related papers: Exploring the supersymmetric parameter space by di…
WIMP direct detection experiments probe the ultra-local dark matter density and velocity distribution. We review how uncertainties in these quantities affect the accuracy with which the WIMP mass and cross-section can be constrained or…
The energy spectrum of nuclear recoils in Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) direct detection experiments depends on the underlying WIMP mass. We study how the accuracy with which the WIMP mass could be determined by a single direct…
Guided by the non-relativistic effective field theory of interactions between Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) of spin 1/2 and nuclei we study direct detection exclusion plots for an example of non-standard spin-dependent…
Expected event rates for a number of dark matter nuclear targets were calculated in the effective low-energy minimal supersymmetric standard model, provided the lightest neutralino is the dark matter Weakly Interacting Massive Particle…
This is a set of four lectures presented at the Theoretical Advanced Study Institute (TASI-09) in June 2009. I provide an introduction to experiments designed to detect WIMP dark matter directly, focusing on building intuitive understanding…
A wide range of techniques have been developed to search for particle dark matter, including direct detection, indirect detection, and collider searches. The prospects for the detection of neutralino dark matter is quite promising for each…
We present a halo-independent analysis of direct detection data on "light WIMPs," i.e. weakly interacting massive particles with mass close to or below 10 GeV/c^2. We include new results from silicon CDMS detectors (bounds and excess…
A new set of supersymmetric benchmark scenarios has recently been proposed in the context of the constrained MSSM (CMSSM) with universal soft supersymmetry-breaking masses, taking into account the constraints from LEP, $b \to s \gamma$ and…
An overview of the current status of WIMP direct searches is presented, emphasizing strategies, achievements and prospects.
The DAMA experiments are running deep underground in the Gran Sasso National Laboratory. Several interesting results have been achieved so far. Here a maximum likelihood method to search for the WIMP annual modulation signature is discussed…
Weak-scale supersymmetry is one of the most favoured theories beyond the Standard Model of particle physics that elegantly solves various theoretical and observational problems in both particle physics and cosmology. In this thesis, I…
Experimentally have we got what it takes to pursue the direct observation of WIMP interactions down to sensitivities of a few events /100 kg/year? For a Ge target with a low energy threshold (<20 keVr) this corresponds to a WIMP-nucleon…
We study the complementarity between dark matter experiments (direct detection and indirect detections) and accelerator facilities (the CERN LHC and a $\sqrt{s}= 1$ TeV $e^+e^-$ Linear Collider) in the framework of the constrained Minimal…
We present here the principles of detection of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, which could represent a large contribution to Dark Matter. A status of the experimental situation is given both for indirect and direct detection. In…
The DAMIC experiment uses fully depleted, high resistivity CCDs to search for dark matter particles. With an energy threshold $\sim$50 eV$_{ee}$, and excellent energy and spatial resolutions, the DAMIC CCDs are well-suited to identify and…
We study the interplay of natural supersymmetry and a supersymmetric solution to the discrepancy observed in measurements of the muon magnetic moment. The strongest constraints on the parameter space currently come from chargino searches in…
The direct detection of dark matter constituents, in particular the weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), is central to particle physics and cosmology. In this paper we study WIMP induced transitions from isomeric nuclear states for…
Multi-dimensional parameter spaces are commonly encountered in physics theories that go beyond the Standard Model. However, they often possess complicated posterior geometries that are expensive to traverse using techniques traditional to…
A generic weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) is one of the most attractive candidates to account for the cold dark matter in our Universe, since it would be thermally produced with the correct abundance to account for the observed…
The energy spectrum of nuclear recoils in Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) direct detection experiments depends on the underlying WIMP mass (strongly for light WIMPs, weakly for heavy WIMPs). We discuss how the accuracy with which…