EES Departmental Seminar: Towards detecting the invisible: Dark Matter
Dr. Marie-Cécile Piro
Associate Professor, Dorothy Killam Fellow
Physics, University of Alberta
Title: Towards detecting the invisible: Dark Matter
Abstract: Dark matter is pivotal to explaining the evolution of our Universe, including the emergence of stars, planets and even life. Representing 85% of the total mass in our Universe, dark matter has never been directly detected on Earth, making it one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of our Universe. Current dark matter experiments excite the scientific community, promising one of the most important discoveries of our time. Searches for dark matter have been conducted for more than fifty years and have reached such sophistication that neutrinos emitted by the sun will constitute the “big background problem” for all dark matter experiments. After reviewing the evidence of dark matter and the detection challenges, I will present our current effort at the University of Alberta to reduce all sources of background and develop dark matter detectors that are more sensitive to incoming particles. This important research, supported by the National Dorothy Killam Fellowship, represents a critical step toward unravelling the mystery of dark matter and advancing our understanding of our Universe.
Time
Location
Milligan Room – 8007 LSC
Additional Information
Meet the lecturer: COFFEE and COOKIES in B-3078 at 10:45 am