Dark matter: Theoretical perspectives

Conference · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:6656666

Turner, M S ^[1]

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1. Chicago Univ., IL (United States). Enrico Fermi Inst. Fermi National Accelerator Lab., Batavia, IL (United States)

I both review and make the case for the current theoretical prejudice: a flat Universe whose dominant constituent is nonbaryonic dark matter, emphasizing that this is still a prejudice and not yet fact. The theoretical motivation for nonbaryonic dark matter is discussed in the context of current elementary-particle theory, stressing that: (1) there are no dark matter candidates within the standard model of particle physics; (2) there are several compelling candidates within attractive extensions of the standard model of particle physics; and (3) the motivation for these compelling candidates comes first and foremost from particle physics. The dark-matter problem is now a pressing issue in both cosmology and particle physics, and the detection of particle dark matter would provide evidence for new physics.'' The compelling candidates are: a very light axion ( 10[sup [minus]6] eV--10[sup [minus]4] eV); a light neutrino (20 eV--90 eV); and a heavy neutralino (10 GeV--2 TeV). The production of these particles in the early Universe and the prospects for their detection are also discussed. I briefly mention more exotic possibilities for the dark matter, including a nonzero cosmological constant, superheavy magnetic monopoles, and decaying neutrinos.

• Research Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03000
• OSTI ID: 6656666
• Report Number(s): FNAL/C-92/382-A; CONF-9203232-1; ON: DE93008484; CNN: NAGW-2381
• Resource Relation: Conference: NAS special colloquium on physical cosmology, Irvine, CA (United States), Mar 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
NONLUMINOUS MATTER
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
DETECTION
GRAVITATION
RELICT RADIATION
STANDARD MODEL
SUPERSTRING MODELS
SUPERSYMMETRY
UNIVERSE
COMPOSITE MODELS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EXTENDED PARTICLE MODEL
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATTER
MICROWAVE RADIATION
PARTICLE MODELS
QUARK MODEL
RADIATIONS
STRING MODELS
SYMMETRY
UNIFIED GAUGE MODELS
661300* - Other Aspects of Physical Science- (1992-)