Towards robust predictions of dark matter distributions around galaxies

by Andrew Pontzen (UCL)

Tuesday 11 Apr 2017, 13:15 → 14:30 Europe/Stockholm

FA31

A robust description of the distribution of dark matter around galaxies is vital for interpreting indirect and direct searches for the responsible particle. While numerical predictions have been available for many decades, the simplest models disagree with increasingly reliable observational data from rotation curves and gravitational lensing. I will review attempts to understand the sources of this discrepancy, focusing on astrophysical mechanisms for altering the dark matter distribution within the paradigm of a cold, collisionless particle. I will critically assess where more work is required to reach a full understanding, and discuss a new technique – "genetically modified” cosmological simulations – that is designed to provide physical insight into this and other problems with our galaxy formation paradigm.