Abstract: Lattice QCD is the only known systematically improvable tool we have for the determination of non-perturbative QCD observables from first principles. However, in its standard incarnation, the study of scattering observables beyond the three-particle energy threshold has been hindered by a number of challenges due to its Euclidean nature. In this talk I will give motivation for the lattice … Read More

n the first three quarters of the talk, I will explain how cosmology sets the strongest constraints yet on long-range dark matter self-interactions at length scales shorter than 100 kpc. In the last quarter, hopefully, I will briefly discuss the early-universe dynamics of an ultralight scalar dark matter coupled to neutrinos, focusing on the dissipative backreaction of the neutrinos on … Read More

Abstract: We will discuss how to systematically study physics beyond the standard model (BSM) in neutrino experiments within the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) framework. In this way, the analysis of the data can capture large classes of models, where the new degrees of freedom have masses well above the relevant energy of the experiments. Moreover, it allows us to … Read More

The dynamics of heavy particles propagating through a thermal environment has been a topic of interest in theoretical physics (at least) since the times of Einstein’s theory of Brownian motion. The simultaneous production of heavy quarks and quark-gluon plasma in heavy-ion collisions provides an ideal configuration in which to test and extend our understanding of this process in relativistic settings … Read More

Abstract: The origin of several proton-rich isotopes in the solar system, most notably $^{92,94}$Mo and $^{96,98}$Ru, remains a long-standing problem in nucleosynthesis. A promising explanation is the $\nu p$-process, which operates in proton-rich, neutrino-driven outflows from the surface of a protoneutron star formed in a core-collapse supernova (CCSN). Years of detailed studies, however, failed to reproduce the observed abundances of … Read More

Abstract:  Dark confining sectors are phenomenologically rich: for instance a confining phase transition can be used to trigger baryogenesis, and some heavy axion models identify the dark \eta′ particle as an axion candidate. By modelling the dark confining phase transition with spontaneous symmetry breaking of chiral symmetry, previous studies have found that a Gravitational Wave (GW) signal could be visible … Read More

Abstract: The structure of the proton and other hadrons can be expressed in various ways, e.g. by considering non-local correlations between its constituents, or the distribution of fundamental properties like charge and energy inside it, which are encoded in its parton distribution functions (PDFs) and its form factors respectively. Fully characterizing hadron structure is important not only to properly describe how … Read More

String theory generically predicts an “axiverse” of O(100) axion-like particles, spanning a vast range of masses (roughly 50 orders of magnitude). If the Pecci-Quinn Symmetry breaks before or during inflation, these axions, if not directly driving inflation, are present as scalar spectator fields throughout. While much recent attention has focused on ultralight axions as dark matter candidates, heavy axions nearer … Read More

Jet substructure is a powerful tool for performing fundamental QCD tests in elementary particle collisions, and offers unique insight into the microscopic structure of the QGP in heavy-ion collisions. Defined as the energy-weighted cross section of particle pairs inside jets, the two-point energy-energy correlator (EEC) is a novel jet substructure observable probing the correlation of energy flow within jets. In … Read More

Abstract: Sub-GeV dark matter is a well-motivated possibility. However, its feeble interactions make it hard to detect, often falling below experimental thresholds, requiring new detection ideas. In this talk I will describe two complementary, data-driven strategies to close in on light dark matter. First, I will show how large neutrino observatories can be repurposed to look for the cumulative imprint of … Read More