Seminar by prof. Monica D'Onofrio (University of Liverpool)
Hunting for Dark Matter at the ATLAS Experiment and Beyond
What is our Universe made of, and what forces govern its evolution? These fundamental questions drive the field of physics, pushing us to test the limits of the Standard Model (SM) and search for new phenomena. One of the most compelling mysteries is the nature of Dark Matter (DM), which constitutes about 80% of the Universe's matter yet remains undetected.
At the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the ATLAS experiment actively hunts for DM as predicted by a variety of new physics models. If produced in high-energy proton-proton collisions, DM candidates—even if invisible or linked to hidden sectors—can be indirectly detected. In this seminar, I will highlight notable recent searches for DM at ATLAS, focusing on models that require diverse experimental strategies and advanced analysis techniques such as machine learning. I will also discuss how complementary experiments, both within and beyond the LHC, are shaping our search for this elusive component of the cosmos.
