Dynamical Probes of Dark Compact Objects and Minihalos

by Badal Bhalla

Wednesday 29 Apr 2026, 12:30 → 14:30 America/Los_Angeles

48/2-224 - Madrone (SLAC)

Dark matter (DM) remains one of the most compelling mysteries in modern physics. Despite decades of effort, its nature and any non-gravitational interactions remain unknown. In this talk, I will discuss scenarios in which DM consists of massive compact objects, such as primordial black holes (PBHs), or forms dense substructures on small scales known as minihalos. The gravitational effects of these DM structures can leave observable imprints on astrophysical and cosmological observables, offering a promising avenue to probe their existence.