Testing the WIMP paradigm to the limit
By: Pedro Gabriel
From: Centro de Física Teórica e Computacional, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
At: Building C2, room 2.4.16
[2026-05-14]
The WIMP (Weakly Interacting Massive Particle) paradigm has long served as the leading theoretical framework for dark matter (DM), uniquely connecting particle physics and cosmology through the "WIMP miracle." However, despite decades of increasingly sensitive searches via direct detection, indirect detection, and collider experiments, no conclusive WIMP signal has been found—placing the paradigm under significant experimental pressure. In this talk, I will first review the core concepts of the WIMP DM scenario. I will then present recent phenomenological results that demonstrate how, even under stringent constraints, the WIMP paradigm remains a viable and well-motivated description of DM.