"Direct detection of Dark Matter and the Xenon project"

From gravitational considerations and observations we know that most of the matter in the Universe is Dark Matter (DM), but we don't know what DM is made of. Current and upcoming detectors have the sensitivity to detect or exclude Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) as candidates for DM.  In this talk, I will review the physical evidence behind the DM paradigm, the particle physics of possible candidates, and the basics of the direct search for WIMPs. I will give a quick overview of the current status of the field. The XENON100 experiment in particular is a leading experiment in this search and will be presented in some detail, together with recent results and comparison with other leading experiments.  Finally, an outlook on the next generation experiments, focusing on XENON1T, which is currently under construction, will be given.

Additional details of the upcoming Israeli Joint Nuclear Physics' Seminars can be found on the following link – Tel Aviv University: Israel Nuclear/Hadron Physics Joint Seminar