Dark matter scattering off light nuclei - AND - Neutron Stars - the densest laboratory in the universe

Lorenzo Andreoli's talk will be: Dark matter scattering off light nuclei

Understanding the matter and energy content of our universe and their origin is one of the main open problems in physics. While the nature of dark matter is unknown, many candidates have been proposed.

Using a scalar interaction derived from DM-quark and DM-gluon in the framework of effective field theory, I will present quantum Monte Carlo calculations of the cross-section for dark matter scattering off nuclei.

Alex Haber's talk will be: Neutron Stars - the densest laboratory in the universe

Neutron stars present an unique laboratory to particle physicists. Nowhere else in the universe can we observe matter at such extreme densities and test the fundamental theories of physics. After a short introduction to quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and its challenges, and the QCD phase diagram, I will present selected astrophysical observables and try to explain how we connect them to theory.