The Theory of Direct Dark Matter Detection

This book is a pedagogical guide on how to make computations in direct dark matter (DM) detection. The theory behind the calculation of direct detection cross sections and rates is presented, touching aspects related to elementary particle physics, hadronic physics, nuclear physics, and astrophysics. The book is structured in self-contained sections, covering several topics ranging from the scattering kinematics to the phenomenology of direct DM searches. It follows a model-independent approach, aiming at providing the readers with all that is needed to understand the theory and start their own analysis. Meant for graduate students and researchers with interests in particle physics and phenomenology, it is enriched with several worked examples from standard and non-standard particle DM models. Senior researchers working in different areas related to dark matter, like particle and nuclear physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, find in this booka useful and updated guide for reference.

Explains in details the theory to perform calculations in direct dark matter detection Presents several worked examples to clear the topics An open code in Mathematica invites the reader to hands-on activities to familiarize with the presented concepts

Autorentext

Eugenio Del Nobile received a PhD in Physics in 2012 with a dissertation on some theoretical aspects of particle dark matter models and their direct detection phenomenology. After, he gained postdoctoral positions at UCLA in US, University of Padua in Italy, and University of Nottingham in UK. His research interests are on direct dark matter detection theory and related phenomenology, notably concerning model-independent analyses and methods.

Inhalt
Introduction.- Rate.- Scattering Kinematics.- From Quarks and Gluons to Nucleons.- DM-Nucleon Interaction.- From Nucleons to Nuclei.- Scattering Cross Section.- DM Velocity Distribution and Velocity Integral.- Phenomenology of Direct DM Detection.- Summary.