One of the most prominent goals of particle physics is to understand the fundamental composition and behavior of matter. Large-scale experiments have been constructed to search for tiny depositions of energy that would signal faint couplings to new families of particles. Particularly of interest is the nature of dark matter, the invisible mass density surrounding most of the observable galaxies. Many particle or wave-like candidates for the composition of dark matter have been proposed over a wide range of possible mass scales, generally with compelling origins that also address other open questions in the field. The Axion Longitudinal Plasma Haloscope (ALPHA) is an experiment designed to search for axion and axion-like populations in the Milky Way’s galactic halo. Building on the foundation of microwave cavity experiments searching for ueV scale axions, ALPHA represents a different way of approaching the traditional format of the haloscope. We discuss the search for axions and the commissioning of the experiment.
Danielle Speller, Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University
Host: John Carrasco
Joan West
(847) 491-3645
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