Probing the Dark Universe: OAJ-LSC synergies

The Standard Model for Cosmology is able to describe the dynamics and evolution of the observable Universe since practically the beginning of the Big Bang. However, it relies on the presence of two yet unknown components, dark matter and dark energy, which together constitute ~95% of the total energy budget in the Universe. Lately, the Astrophysics and Cosmology communities have invested most of their resources worldwide aiming to understand those two cosmological components. In the realm of the very small, the Standard Model of Particle Physics, despite its impressive success in the last decades, can not fully describe dark matter and dark energy with any of the dynamical fields included. Well motivated extensions of the Standard Model have been explored, which has led to (but not limited to) extensive experimental searches with large detectors underground in low background conditions. Moreover, well understood Standard Model particles like neutrinos, a component hinted in the early universe content, have not been yet observed in the near Universe. In this context, a natural meeting point for these two disciplines in physics is to embark in a joint characterisation of dark matter (WIMPS, axions, …) and neutrinos, including its possible interplay with the dark energy.

The confluence of these two areas of research is well represented by two Spanish facilities: the Astrophysical Observatory of Javalambre (OAJ), and the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC), both of which belong to the map of Singular Science and Technology Infraestructures (ICTS). At the OAJ, the ongoing large scale structure survey J-PAS will provide constraints on the nature of dark matter and dark energy and on the presence of relativistic species at the cosmological level today. At the LSC, running experiments are exploring the nature of dark matter and neutrinos, with implications to the observable Universe and the extensions of the Standard Model. In the last years, there is an increasing effort to strengthen the interactions between members of these communities, and this meeting is an expression of this initiative.

The meeting will have a compact format of days of duration, with contributions from national and international experts in both fields, and discussion sessions fostering the exploration of synergies and coordinated efforts.

Deadline

Contribution abstract submission deadline: October 15th, 2018

Venue

Paraninfo of the University of Zaragoza (Zaragoza, Spain)

More information

This is a RIA supported workshop (AYA2017-90868-REDI)): NO FEE is requested.

A limited number of travel grants is available to support the lodging of participants to the meeting.

RIA workshop webpage: http://riastronomia.es/en/probing-the-dark-universe-oaj-lsc-synergies