Dark Matter Searches

According to our present knowledge the matter/energy budget of the universe consists of 74% dark energy, 22% dark matter and 4% ordinary (or so-called baryonic) matter. While the dark energy cannot be detected directly, searches for dark matter are performed with earth-bound and space-borne detection devices, assuming that the dark matter consists of weakly interacting massive particles, the so-called WIMPs. An overview of the present experimental situation is given.     

Galaxy Clusters as Probes for Matter in the Universe

Galaxy clusters are ideal tracers of the large-scale structure and evolution of the universe. They are thus good probes for the matter content of the universe, the existence of dark matter, and for the statistics of the large-scale structure of the matter distribution. X-ray observations provide a very effective tool to characterize individual galaxy clusters as well as the cluster population. With the detailed analysis of X-ray observations of galaxy clusters the matter composition of clusters is obtained which can be taken as representative of the matter composition of the universe. Based on galaxy cluster surveys in X-rays a census of the galaxy cluster population and statistical measures of the spatial distribution of clusters is obtained. Comparison of the results with predictions from cosmological models yields interesting cosmological model constraints and in particular favours a low density universe.     

Clouds and Diffuse Baryonic Dark Matter

The nature of the dark matter in the halo of our galaxy is still largely unknown. The microlensing events found so far towards the Large Magellanic Cloud suggest that at most about 20% of the halo dark matter is in form of MACHOs (Massive Astrophysical Compact Halo Objects). The dark matter could also, at least partially, be made of cold molecular clouds (mainly H₂). We proposed a model for baryonic dark matter, according to which dark clusters of brown dwarfs and cold self-gravitating H₂ clouds populate the outer galactic halo. A signature would be a diffuse -ray emission from the galactic halo. Basically, cosmic-ray protons in the galactic halo scatter on the clouds clumped into dark clusters, giving rise to a -ray flux. An analysis of EGRET data has led to the discovery of a statistically significant diffuse -ray emission from the galactic halo, which turns out to be in remarkably good agreement with our prediction.     

宇宙膨胀动因的另类物理解释

利用磁流体力学的基本概念，试图对宇宙膨胀——总星系扩张的动因，提出另类物理解释如下：磁压是导致磁力线疏散的一种斥力。由于宇宙磁场是冻凝场，故当磁力线在空问疏散时，必将带着与之冻结的宇宙物质一起在空问疏散；从而使宇宙物质的密度减少，各星彼此远离。因此可以认为，磁压是宇宙膨胀的主要动因。并就有关问题进行了讨论。     

The Galactic Halo from Microlensing

The status of the microlensing search for galactic dark matter in the form of massive astronomical compact halo objects (machos) is reviewed. Unresolved issues are discussed, as well as possible ways to solve these.     

Supersymmetric Relics

After recalling the motivations for expecting supersymmetry to appear at energies 1 TeV, the reasons why the lightest supersymmetric particle is an ideal candidate for cold dark matter are reviewed. Recent calculations of the relic density including coannihilations and rapid annihilations through direct-channel Higgs boson poles are presented. The experimental constraints from LEP and elsewhere on supersymmetric dark matter are reviewed. The potential implications of a Higgs boson weighing about 115 GeV and the recent measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon are summarized.     

Linking Primordial to Solar and Galactic Composition

Evolution and composition of baryonic matter is influenced by the evolution of other forms of matter and energy in the universe. At the time of primordial nucleosynthesis the universal expansion and thus the decrease of the density and temperature of baryonic matter were controlled by leptons and photons. Non-baryonic dark matter initiated the formation of clusters and galaxies, and to this day, dark matter largely determines the dynamics and geometries of these baryonic structures and indirectly influences their chemical evolution. Chemical analyses and isotopic abundance measurements in the solar system established the composition in the protosolar cloud (PSC). The abundances of nuclear species in the PSC led to the discovery of the magic numbers and the nuclear shell model, and they allowed the identification of nucleosynthetic sites and processes. To this day, we know the abundances of the ∼300 stable and long-lived nuclides infinitely better in the PSC than in any other sample of matter in the universe. Thus, we know the exact composition of a Galactic sample of intermediate age, allowing us to check on theories of Galactic evolution before and after the formation of the solar system. This paper specifically discusses the nucleosynthesis in the early universe and the Galactic evolution during the last 5 Gyr.     

Dark Matter from Weak Gravitational Lensing

Weak gravitational lensing probes the amount, location, distribution and the power spectrum of (dark) matter without assumption on the geometry and physical properties of gravitational structures. It is therefore widely recognized as potentially a promising tool to probe the matter content of the universe at all scales. Put into the perspective of this conference, the most illustrative new results concern clusters of galaxies and cosmic shear. In the following I focus on these two topics and discuss the present status of cosmological applications of weak lensing.     

Direct Detection of Dark Matter WIMPs

Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, so-called WIMPs, are possible candidates for the dark matter in the universe. We discuss the search for WIMPs with earth bound detectors. The latest results in this field of research and future developments are presented.     

Astrophysical implications of higher-dimensional gravity

We review the implications of modern higher-dimensional theories of gravity for astrophysics and cosmology. In particular, we discuss the latest developments of STM theory in connection with dark matter, particle dynamics and the cosmological constant, as well as related aspects of quantum theory. There are also more immediate tests of extra dimensions, notably involving perturbations of the cosmic 3K microwave background and the precession of a supercooled gyroscope in Earth orbit. We also outline some general features of embeddings, and include pictures of the big bang as viewed from a higher dimension.     

Japanese satellite program on the solar research for the coming solar maximum

The paper discusses the methods for measuring the linear polarization of gamma-rays with energies above 0.1 MeV. Special attention is given to Compton scattering and e ^–, e ⁺ pair production. The effects of the selection of gamma-events and multiple scattering in the converters on the derived azimuthal distribution are considered. The changes of measuring polarization with gamma-telescopes in a near future are considered.     

Axions

Axions are one of the few particle-physics candidates for dark matter which are well motivated independently of their possible cosmological role. A brief review is given of the theoretical motivation for axions, their possible role in cosmology, the existing astrophysical limits, and the status of experimental searches.     

On the primordial black holes in the earth

Astrophysical limitations do not exclude the possibility of some number of dark matter primordial Black Holes (BH) being seeded in the interiors of the Earth at the epoch of planet condensation in the young Solar System. We show that limitations on the neutrino radiation due to the BH quantum evaporation and accretion growth of BH mass completely forbid the existence of primordial BH of any mass in the Earth.     

Antiparticles

Nearly a half century after the discovery of the antiproton the study of cosmic-ray antimatter continues to be an exciting and fertile field. Sensitive searches for heavy cosmic-ray antimatter continue, although in recent years their value as a probe of universal baryon symmetry has all but evaporated. Antiprotons and positrons have opened new windows on the origin and history of cosmic rays. The rarity of antimatter as compared to ordinary cosmic-ray species has posed substantial experimental challenges. Early reports of significant enhancements of antiprotons and high-energy positrons fueled speculation that non-baryonic dark matter had been found. A new generation of balloon-borne magnetic spectrometers employing powerful particle identification techniques to eliminate background have finally managed to uncover the true antimatter signal. These new measurements support simple models of secondary production but also suggest the possibility of a small yet interesting primary component.     

高超声速飞行器高温流场数值模拟面临的问题

随着高超声速飞行器目标光辐射和电磁散射特性研究的发展和深入,高温流场特性日益引起人们的关注。由于高温流场特性研究中涉及到非常多的复杂气动现象,如气动加热、烧蚀、辐射、燃烧、化学反应以及湍流等,因此其数值模拟面临着诸多挑战。这里基于连续流计算流体力学(CFD)技术和稀薄气体蒙特卡罗直接仿真(DSMC)方法,从化学物理模型建模、方法稳定性与数值求解效率出发,分析了高超声速飞行器外部绕流、尾迹和发动机喷焰三方面的流场特性数值模拟在不同弹道、热防护手段和飞行流域环境下所面临的问题。在此基础上提出了数值求解技术和化学物理模型建模今后需要发展的方向,为有效提高高超声速高温流场特性数值模拟效率、增加流场特性预测精度提供了指导,从而为研究流场对高超声速飞行器目标光辐射和电磁散射特性影响提供有效的基础数据。     

一种快速航空图像去雾算法

 基于暗元先验规律的图像去雾算法去雾效果较好,但在进行介质透射率估计时会造成图像中出现方块效应,所以需要进行图像抠图处理。而图像抠图计算复杂度非常高,使得图像去雾时间消耗很大。本文提出一种快速图像去雾算法,使用Kuwahara边缘-角点保持滤波器对大气散射光进行估计,并对所采用的Kuwahara滤波器进行改进。通过增加子块的数目以及进行局部加权等,提高边缘保留效果,抑制方块效应,从而获得较为准确的介质透射率。实验结果表明本文算法时间复杂度低,图像去雾效果好。     

Performance analysis of radar antenna systems

If modern airborne radar systems are to function properly, the radar antenna radiation patterns must meet certain specifications. Until recently, most radar antennas were designed and tested in a clean antenna environment, i.e., there is no near field scattering from host structures or radome effects. However, these higher order effects are the matter of increasing concern with added performance demands in the ever-increasing jammer and clutter interference environments. We investigated the capabilities and limitations of currently available analysis techniques and computer codes for installed performance of airborne radar antenna systems. Then we developed an extended ray-optical technique that could predict total installed performance of airborne radar antenna systems, i.e., the near field scattering from aircraft structures and radome effects. The new analysis technique utilized a ray-tracing method in both airframe and radome simulation. Thus, it can efficiently predict the total installed performance of large radar antenna systems on an aircraft structure     

UV Irradiation Effect on the Electrical Properties of ZnO Thermal Control Coating Pigment

Electron concentration and Hall mobility have been investigated in pure zinc oxide single crystals, while in the dark and under ultraviolet (UV) excitation. Mode of scattering in ZnO has been determined by studying the temperature dependence of various electrical parameters in the range from -170 to 120°C. It has been observed that the degradation to the crystals by UV irradiation is limited only to the surface layer and shows up only at relatively lower temperatures, which is in contrast to the degradation behavior in thin films and powders.     

Clusters of Galaxies: Setting the Stage

Clusters of galaxies are self-gravitating systems of mass ∼10¹⁴–10¹⁵ h ⁻¹ M_⊙ and size ∼1–3h ⁻¹ Mpc. Their mass budget consists of dark matter (∼80%, on average), hot diffuse intracluster plasma (≲20%) and a small fraction of stars, dust, and cold gas, mostly locked in galaxies. In most clusters, scaling relations between their properties, like mass, galaxy velocity dispersion, X-ray luminosity and temperature, testify that the cluster components are in approximate dynamical equilibrium within the cluster gravitational potential well. However, spatially inhomogeneous thermal and non-thermal emission of the intracluster medium (ICM), observed in some clusters in the X-ray and radio bands, and the kinematic and morphological segregation of galaxies are a signature of non-gravitational processes, ongoing cluster merging and interactions. Both the fraction of clusters with these features, and the correlation between the dynamical and morphological properties of irregular clusters and the surrounding large-scale structure increase with redshift. In the current bottom-up scenario for the formation of cosmic structure, where tiny fluctuations of the otherwise homogeneous primordial density field are amplified by gravity, clusters are the most massive nodes of the filamentary large-scale structure of the cosmic web and form by anisotropic and episodic accretion of mass, in agreement with most of the observational evidence. In this model of the universe dominated by cold dark matter, at the present time most baryons are expected to be in a diffuse component rather than in stars and galaxies; moreover, ∼50% of this diffuse component has temperature ∼0.01–1 keV and permeates the filamentary distribution of the dark matter. The temperature of this Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM) increases with the local density and its search in the outer regions of clusters and lower density regions has been the quest of much recent observational effort. Over the last thirty years, an impressive coherent picture of the formation and evolution of cosmic structures has emerged from the intense interplay between observations, theory and numerical experiments. Future efforts will continue to test whether this picture keeps being valid, needs corrections or suffers dramatic failures in its predictive power.     

Simulation Techniques for Cosmological Simulations

Modern cosmological observations allow us to study in great detail the evolution and history of the large scale structure hierarchy. The fundamental problem of accurate constraints on the cosmological parameters, within a given cosmological model, requires precise modelling of the observed structure. In this paper we briefly review the current most effective techniques of large scale structure simulations, emphasising both their advantages and shortcomings. Starting with basics of the direct N-body simulations appropriate to modelling cold dark matter evolution, we then discuss the direct-sum technique GRAPE, particle-mesh (PM) and hybrid methods, combining the PM and the tree algorithms. Simulations of baryonic matter in the Universe often use hydrodynamic codes based on both particle methods that discretise mass, and grid-based methods. We briefly describe Eulerian grid methods, and also some variants of Lagrangian smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) methods.