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Theory/Phenomenology Seminar
Implications of a Scalar Dark Force for Terrestrial Experiments
Date: Friday, April 17th
Time: 2:30 pm
Place: 5280 Chamberlin Hall
Speaker: Sonny Mantry, UW-Madison Physics Dept.
Abstract: Does Dark Matter (DM) fall at a different rate than ordinary matter under gravity? Such a violation of the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) could arise
through ultralight scalars mediating a new long range "dark force" between DM particles. Such scenarios can arise, for example, through DM-quintessence
interactions or in non-universal scalar-tensor theories of gravity invoked to explain aspects of dark energy. The presence of a dark force would affect galactic dynamics, the CMB spectrum, and large scale structure formation typically requiring it to be weaker than gravity. Furthermore, a dark force will be communicated to ordinary matter through quantum effects as long as the DM is not sterile. This allows one to further probe dark forces through terrestrial experiments such as Eotvos tests of the WEP, DM-direct-detection experiments, and collider signals.
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