Abstract: Many studies exploring how dark matter might leave imprints on compact objects build on the idea that WIMPs may scatter off nuclear matter inside neutron stars, lose energy, and become captured, potentially altering the stars’ properties. In this PUG talk, I will revisit an early calculation by Press and Spergel of the capture rate of dark matter in the Sun, then discuss how it has been adapted and extended for neutron stars.
Schedule for PUG Seminar
Time
Speaker
Title
11:00
Viviana Caceres
Capture the Dark Matter: From the Sun to Neutron Stars
About our wordmark
The IGC wordmark was created by Monica Rincon Ramirez, while she was a graduate
student at the Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (IGC). Monica enjoys
drawing new connections between fundamental theory and observations. Her
graduate work includes specialized topics in general relativity, loop quantum
gravity, and quantum fields in cosmological backgrounds. In particular, her
thesis work focused on finding effective quantum corrections to gravitational
phenomena from spinfoams, and applications to cosmology. She received her PhD
in 2024.
The wordmark symbolizes the scope and variety of research at the IGC. The base
of the image represents quantum gravity, evoking the quantum geometrical
picture from spinfoams and loop quantum gravity. These are among the approaches
to fundamental questions studied at the Center for Fundamental Theory. The
middle of the image represents the Center for Theoretical and Observational
Cosmology by galaxies embedded in a smooth surface, characteristic of spacetime
in general relativity and the much larger physical scales studied in cosmology.
Finally, at the top, the surface curves to an extreme, representing a
supermassive black hole accompanied by an energetic jet. These elements depict
an active galactic nucleus, inspired by Centaurus A. Just to the right, a pair
of black holes approaches merger. This top portion of the wordmark represents
the Center for Multimessenger Astrophysics, which specializes in the study of
high-energy phenomena in the universe.
