Grant: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Individual

The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics is one of the most successful theories in existence. But for all its successes in describing elementary particles, it is incomplete. In fact, we know it accounts for less than 5% of the total energy density in the universe. The nature of dark matter, making up 27% of the universe's energy density, remains a mystery. In the next five years, my research program will focus on unraveling the nature of dark matter by devising new table-top experiments and by studying the production, evolution, and resulting observational consequences of light bosonic fields in the early universe, as well as around stellar objects. Non-thermally produced light bosonic dark matter is one of the most well-motivated dark matter candidate. These light bosons, including axions, dark photons and dilatons, motivate new theoretical and experimental studies that are fundamentally different from those that gave rise to the SM. Building on my previous work, my research program will bring together ideas from wide-ranging areas of physics to propose novel theoretical ideas and to connect theory with table-top experiments and with cosmological and astrophysical observations. My group will conduct research on the design and data analysis for stage 2 of the LAMPOST experiment (An experiment I proposed and now being conducted at MIT and NIST) following the success of the prototype experiment. My group shall also pursue new ideas for dark matter experiments, with a focus on taking advantage of the rapidly advancing quantum technology. Research in my group connects cutting-edge technology and fundamental physics, with a long term objective of discovering the nature of dark matter. Many of the light dark matter candidates that are the subject of experimental searches have non-trivial dynamics in high density or temperature environment. For example, my group will study novel dynamics of light fields in the presence of a variety of hot and dense astronomical objects, as well as the energies stored in the dark matter field itself. Many of these dynamics lead to production of non-trivial topological defects like strings and domain walls, which my group will design new cosmological and astrophysical observations to search for. Research in my group connects cosmological and astrophysical observations with fundamental physics. These observations can provide direct evidence for the existence of light bosons in our universe. Given that many small-scale experiments, and cosmological and astrophysical probes, can give results in as little as five years, as is in the case of the LAMPOST proposal, my research program can boost Perimeter's role as a hub for table-top experiments while training the next generation of scientific leaders with interdisciplinary research skills. The search for dark matter is one of the most challenging scientific task in the past 40 years and a discovery will boost Canada's position as a pioneer in fundamental physics.