Abstract: The remarkable progress in cosmology over the last decades has been driven by the close interplay between theory and observations. Cosmological observations and galaxy dynamics have shown us that 84% of all matter in the universe is composed of dark matter, which is not accounted for by the Standard Model of particle physics. The properties and interactions of dark matter remain one of the great puzzles of fundamental physics.

In this talk, I will discuss new ways to use current and upcoming astrophysical observations to improve our understanding of the nature of dark matter.

Bio: Cora Dvorkin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at Harvard. She is a theoretical cosmologist. Her areas of research are: the nature of dark matter, neutrinos and other light relics, and the physics of the early universe. She uses observables such as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the large-scale structure of the universe, and strong gravitational lensing to shed light on these questions.