Is gravity the only dark matter interaction that matters in the physics of galaxies?

• Jesús Zavala

One of the most relevant problems in Physics is to identify new particles beyond the Standard Model, which can fit the properties of the cosmological dark matter. Despite decades of searching for candidates, the nature of dark matter remains a mystery even though its role in explaining cosmic structure formation has become progressively more fundamental. Analysing the properties of the galaxy population is arguable among the most promising short-term avenues to look for clues to solve the dark matter enigma. In this talk, I will present a broad overview of the status of the allowed impact of new dark matter physics (i.e., beyond its gravity) in the physics of galaxies.

Dark matter density profiles on galactic and sub-galactic scales

• Kohei Hayashi

The less massive galaxies, such as dwarf galaxies are ideal laboratories for exploring the fundamental nature of dark matter because they are largely dark matter-dominated systems. Their structural and dynamical properties provide unique opportunities to place constraints on dark matter distributions on small scales. However, uncovering their dark matter distributions requires detailed kinematic data from plenty of stellar samples and a robust understanding of the systematic uncertainties in dynamical modeling. In this talk, I will present current efforts to constrain the dark matter profiles of the dwarf galaxies using dynamical analyses of the available data. I will also discuss future prospects for these studies, highlighting anticipated advances in data quality and dynamical modeling.

Gravitational dynamical probes of the nature of dark matter in galaxies

• Kfir Blum

The hypothesis of dark matter was introduced to address observations associated with gravitational dynamics in cosmology and in galaxies. It seems natural to seek new observables that could shed light on dark matter within the same ballpark of minimal gravitational interactions, in dark matter-dominated systems. I will discuss some attempts of this type focusing on galaxies, and covering lines of research including gravitational lensing, stellar kinematics, and globular cluster dynamics.

OPEN DISCUSSION Questions for the speakers from, comments, suggestions, perspectives....

Tidal stripping and the fate of dark substructures of the Milky Way

• Jens Stücker (Universität Wien)

Measurements of the presence or the absence of dark substructures of the Milky Way -- e.g. through their impact on stellar streams -- are a powerful probe of the nature of dark matter. However, the necessary theoretical predictions are tricky, since subhaloes of the Milky Way get significantly diminished through tidal stripping -- which depends on aspects that may be unresolved or unmodelled in most cosmological simulations. In this talk, I will give an overview over the theory, the modelling and the pitfalls of tidal stripping and tidal shocks. Further, I will discuss a novel analytical approach, based on the conservation of actions, that allows to predict the long-term fate of substructures from first principles.

What can dwarf galaxies reveal about the nature of dark matter?

• Ethan O. Nadler

I will review constraints on dark matter (DM) properties from dwarf galaxy luminosity function and stellar velocity dispersion measurements. These data constrain DM models that affect halo abundances (e.g. warm, fuzzy, and interacting DM) and density profiles (e.g. fuzzy, self-interacting, and primordial black hole DM). I will conclude with forecasts for upcoming dwarf galaxy surveys, including from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, highlighting the potential to combine with strong lensing observations from JWST.

Motivations for self-interacting dark matter and its viable signatures

• Manoj Kaplinghat

This talk will summarize the motivations for self-interacting dark matter models from galactic-scale observations, current constraints from Milky Way satellites and galaxy clusters, and end with signatures of viable models in gravitational lensing images.

OPEN DISCUSSION