Zoom info: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/92103138149?pwd=UHllNFFtTnE5SmVhUnZUNytJbStPUT09

The theory describing dark matter remains completely unknown, and requires new search ideas to resolve its identity. It turns out that stars and planets can be ideal playgrounds to discover dark matter. In this talk, I will review a range of dark matter searches using celestial objects, including neutron stars, exoplanets, solar-system planets, and our Sun. I will discuss different search strategies, their opportunities and limitations, and the interplay of regimes where different celestial objects are optimal dark matter detectors.

Speaker Information:

Rebecca Leane is an Associate Staff Scientist at SLAC. Her research leverages the interplay of theoretical particle physics and astrophysics to investigate the fundamental nature of dark matter. Rebecca received her PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Melbourne in 2017, and then moved to the US as a postdoctoral researcher in the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics (2017-2020), and SLAC (2020-2021), before commencing her current appointment.

Visit the SLAC Colloquium Series website for more information.