Beyond the Standard Model: Dark Matter and Supersymmetry, Prof. Pearl Sandick, (University of Utah)

Thursday Oct 30, 2014, 3:15 PM → 4:45 PM Pacific/Honolulu

112 (Watanabe Hall)

The question of the identity of dark matter is one of the most exciting outstanding puzzles in modern physics. Supersymmetry, which remains an extremely compelling theory of physics beyond the Standard Model, may hold the answer. In this talk, I will give a basic overview of supersymmetry, accessible to a general audience, and discuss the relationship between the question of dark matter and the possibility that our Universe is supersymmetric. I will describe the variety of tactics currently being pursued to observe particle dark matter, the impact of recent results on our understanding of physics beyond the Standard Model, and the future prospects for the discovery of dark matter and, potentially, new supersymmetric particles. (N.B. This colloquium is intended to be accessible to UH physicists in all sub-fields)

Slides sandick_Hawaii_colloq_2014.pdf