Abstract: |
Astrophysical observations spanning from dwarf galaxies to galaxy clusters indicate that dark matter halos are much more diverse than predicted in the prevailing cold dark matter theory. In this talk, I will show that self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) provides a unified solution to a number of puzzles on galactic scales, including the diverse galactic rotation curves, the radial acceleration relation, and the density cores in galaxy clusters. Using detailed fits to the stellar kinematics, we are able to measure the self-interacting cross section as a function of kinetic energy and deduce the particle physics parameters of the SIDM model. I will also discuss smoking-gun signatures of SIDM in direct detection experiments and collider searches. |