Institute for Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics (INPA) at LBNL

The INPA Seminar weekly talks are on Fridays, starting at 12:00 pm, unless informed otherwise. The seminar talk starts with a brief presentation of the weekly scientific news. Typically, the talks conclude by 1:00 pm. The seminars are held in the Sessler Conference Room,  located in Bldg. 50A- 5132.

The committee members are:

The seminar schedule for the Institute for Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics (INPA) is tentative and becomes final a few days before the Friday talk.

Please send all suggestions for future INPA talks and speakers to the INPA Committee.

To be added to the INPA News Mailing List, please contact Erica Hall.

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VIRTUAL INPA SEMINAR | Javier Menéndez (University of Barcelona)

June 18, 2021 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Speaker: Javier Menéndez (University of Barcelona)

Title: Nuclear Theory To Reveal The Nature Of Dark Matter And Neutrinos

Location: via Zoom

Abstract:

Unveiling the nature of dark matter is one the most exciting challenges in physics. While it constitutes about a quarter of the energy-density of the universe and 80% of its mass, the composition of dark matter remains elusive. Beyond the solid evidence based on its gravitational properties, a key step would be the direct detection in the laboratory, a program led by searches of the scattering of dark matter particles off atomic nuclei. Naturally, the interpretation of these experiments depends on the nuclear physics input that describes the dark matter scattering off nuclei. Assuming a scenario where dark matter is mainly composed by WIMPs (weakly interacting massive particles) that couple to quarks and gluons, I will introduce nuclear theory insights needed to characterize the possible nuclear-WIMP interactions, with focus on which WIMP-nucleus interactions can receive contributions from several nucleons in the nucleus (coherence), or how experiments could distinguish between different WIMP-nucleus interactions.

Likewise, the scattering of neutrinos off nuclei and a rare proposed nuclear decay, neutrinoless double-beta decay, can determine if neutrinos are its own antiparticles, and pin down physics beyond the Standard Model. Again, these processes depend on nuclear physics input that needs to be calculated from nuclear theory and which is key to interpret experimental searches. If time allows, I will also discuss the most prominent features of the nuclear matrix elements for coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering and neutrinoless double-beta decay.

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Details

Date:
June 18, 2021
Time:
10:00 am - 11:00 am

INPA guests from campus can now come to the lab early on Fridays. The INPA Common Room (50-5026) is reserved for our guests from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Note that the seminars are now held in 50A-5132 to accommodate a more significant number of attendees.

CPTea Series (also known as INPA Tea Series)

The Physics Division CPTea Series invites you to an In-Person Tea Series 1st Friday of every month at 3:30 pm INPA Conference Room 50-5026.

Everyone is welcome to attend the open forum. Tea and light refreshments will be served.

CPTea_colorV4.jpg

INPA Common Room (50-5026)
Fridays
3:30 pm

Access to the Lab

For a shuttle pass, please email Erica Hall. The pass is only valid for the day of the seminar.

Erica Hall