I present a largely model-independent probe of dark matter-nucleon interactions. Accelerated by gravity to relativistic speeds, local dark matter scattering against old neutron stars deposits kinetic energy that heats them to infrared blackbody temperatures. The resulting radiation is detectable by next generation telescopes such as James Webb, the Thirty Meter Telescope, and the European Extremely Large Telescope. While underground direct … Read More

Among the possible explanations for Dark Matter, in the last years the WIMP candidate has been the main candidate to look for, given the feasibility of its experimental search (direct and indirect detection, and collider searches). In the last years, the community has been discussing the role of effective field theories and simplified models with regard to this issue. I … Read More

Abstract: In this talk, I will detail some recent work to implement the relaxation mechanism in composite Higgs (CH) models as a possible solution to the little hierarchy problem. After detailing the model building in a generic CH scenario, I will discuss our computation in a CH model based on the coset SU(3)xSU(3)/SU(3), demonstrating that it is possible to raise … Read More

Many relativistic quantum field theories have interacting renormalization group fixed points, which have scale symmetry in addition to Poincare symmetry. In almost all cases one finds that the spacetime symmetry is enhanced to conformal invariance, and further to Weyl invariance. This talk reports on progress in understanding these symmetry enhancements in spacetime dimensions greater than 2. I will present a … Read More

We investigate composite Higgs models based on SO(5)xU(1) in the framework of gauge-Higgs unification in AdS5. To create a Little Hierarchy, we introduce a top partner that competes with the top quark in the generation of the Higgs potential. We also make use of the freedom to adjust the gauge couplings and top yukawa with UV boundary kinetic term. Our … Read More

A less explored procedure for a thermal relic to reach its current abundance is that it first elastically (thermally) decouples from the relativistic species before it freezes out from the number-changing processes. Here we present a novel dark matter (DM) candidate, an Elastically Decoupling Relic (ELDER), which is a thermal relic whose present-day abundance is determined by the cross-section of … Read More

From a quantum information perspective, we will study universal features of chaotic quantum systems. Recent progress has made evident that quantifying chaos might be a useful path to gain insight into strongly-coupled field theories, quantum many-body systems, as well as the quantum nature of black holes. We will derive relations between different diagnostics of chaos and scrambling (OTOCs, spectral functions, … Read More

Non-QCD like confining gauge theories promise to be potential UV completions for the Standard Model Electroweak sector, which do not suffer from fine tuning problems. In these scenarios, the Higgs boson would be a composite particle, kept lighter than other composites by the dynamics of the gauge theory. To determine the viability of these scenarios, we have developed an effective … Read More

Abstract : In certain models of a QCD axion, finite density corrections to the axion potential can result in the axion being sourced by large dense objects. There are a variety of ways to test this phenomenon, but perhaps the most surprising effect is that the axion can mediate forces between neutron stars that can be as strong as gravity. … Read More

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