Abstract:

A stable particle with a weak scale mass and coupling is a well motivated dark matter candidate; one which arises in a variety of models for new physics, including the MSSM. Given the lack of clear evidence for WIMP signatures at direct, indirect and collider searches, we are motivated to look beyond the standard lore. In a model independent framework complementary to LHC monojet searches, we discuss searches at high luminosity colliders for heavy quarkonium decays to dark matter particles with masses below the weak scale. Also, we investigate unconventional MSSM parameter space by relaxing commonly made simplifying assumptions, such as minimal flavor violation, then reexamining constraints from direct dark matter detection and the associated nuclear physics uncertainties.  Finally, moving from a single particle to a multi-component dark matter framework, we consider the impact of many particles decaying in the early universe on the application of constraints from light element abundances and the CMB.