Ethan Siegel (University of Florida)
Dark matter on the smallest scales


One of the most fundamental goals of modern cosmology is to determine the composition of the universe. Recent observations have demonstrated that not only is dark matter a reality, but its nature is non-baryonic as well. In this talk, I will discuss dark matter structures that form on the smallest scales, and the possibility of detecting this dark matter via a new method – through pulsar timing measurements. If collapsed dark matter structure on small scales transits between a pulsar and an observer, the delay in the light-travel-time of photons is substantial, and ought to be observable, providing a new and unique probe of the dark matter substructure within our own galaxy. I also discuss the possibility of reconstructing dark matter properties, such as its mass, interactions, and method of production, from future pulsar timing measurements.



10 11 2006, ISCAP Seminar Room Pupin 908, 2:00 pm