Universe Colloquium: The motion of dark matter in phase space and indirect detection signals

by Francesc Ferrer (U Washington)

Wednesday 9 Jul 2014, 16:30 → 17:30 Europe/Berlin

seminar room (Excellence Cluster Universe, Boltzmannstrasse 2, Garching)

If dark matter (DM) has long-range interactions, the annihilation rate depends not only on the density profile, but also on its velocity distribution. Using phase-space considerations, we will discuss how the expectations for the indirect detection of DM in models with Sommerfeld enhancement can differ significantly from the standard estimate. In addition, the DM at the center of the Galaxy will be redistributed by the presence of the super-massive black hole. We will take a closer look at the DM profile in the vicinity of a black hole using a relativistic analysis, and discuss its implication for indirect searches of DM and tests of the black hole no-hair theorems. The Universe Colloquium is followed by a social gathering with wine and cheese.