B3a: Dark sectors at colliders and flavour experiments

Project B3a will explore the phenomenology of dark sector models that address the dark matter problem by introducing new particles with very weak couplings to the Standard Model but potentially strong interactions between them. We will calculate predictions for collider signatures, such as dark showers or displaced vertices, and for observables at flavour experiments, such as rare decays. These predictions will then be compared to experimental data and combined with cosmological and astrophysical observations in order to perform global fits of dark sector models.

1. Models: light WIMPs
   • Motivation and constraints for GeV-scale dark matter
   • Embedding of simplified models into full theories
2. Models: Beyond WIMPs
   • Exploration of the different dark matter production mechanisms
   • Connection between the structure of dark sectors to exotic signatures
3. Phenomenology: Resonance searches
   • Identification of the most sensitive observables and signal regions
   • Inclusion of searches for broad resonances and displaced vertices
4. Phenomenology: (Dark) showers
   • Simulation of light dark matter annihilation with HERWIG
   • Development of a tool to simulate dark showers based on HERWIG
5. Interpretation: Recasting
   • Combination of all relevant LHC searches and flavour observables
   • Constraints on dark sectors from SM precision measurements
6. Interpretation: Global fits
   • Viability of WIMP models and predictions for future WIMP searches
   • Framework to analyse complementary information and positive signals dictions and advanced searches.