Astrolunch: James Bullock

Date: 
Tue, 15/09/202018:00-19:00

Title: Self-Interacting Dark Matter: Implications for Small-Scale Structure in Cosmology

Abstract:  While cold, collision-less dark matter (CDM) has been a demonstrably successful model for explaining large-scale structure and as a framework for galaxy formation, current data are consistent with the possibility that dark matter particles interact strongly with themselves.  For some observations, self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) models with cross sections of order one barn per GeV (similar to nucleon-nucleon cross sections)  provide a better fit than CDM itself.  I will discuss current constraints based on cosmological simulations and areas where SIDM may help to solve new problems associated with substructure
 
Meeting recording: here