Abstract
One of the major challenges of modern physics is to decipher the nature of dark matter. Dark matter could be made of new elementary particles with allowed masses and interaction strengths spanning an enormous range. Among these, particles with masses in the MeV-TeV range might be directly observed via scatters with atomic nuclei or electrons in ultra-low background detectors operated deep underground. After an introduction to the dark matter problem, I will discuss the most promising direct detection techniques, addressing their current and future science reach, as well as their complementarity. The focus will be on two-phase xenon TPCs: I will show recent results and plans for the future.
Biography
Laura Baudis is a Swiss physicist known for her work in experimental astroparticle physics, particularly in the search for dark matter. She is a professor at the University of Zurich, where she focuses on direct detection experiments for dark matter and neutrino physics. Baudis has contributed to major international collaborations, including the XENON project, which uses liquid xenon detectors to search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). Her research aims to understand the nature of dark matter and fundamental particles beyond the Standard Model. Her many awards include the NSF Career Award, Advanced Grant from European Research Council, and Charpak-Ritz Prize from French and Swiss Physical Society.