Particle Physics Seminar

Our Milky Way galaxy is surrounded by a multitude of dwarf satellite galaxies. They are some of the oldest, least luminous, most metal poor, and most dark-matter-dominated objects known. These extreme objects provide a unique opportunity for testing the standard models of cosmology and galaxy formation. In addition, the relative proximity and large dark matter content of dwarf galaxies make them excellent systems for probing the fundamental properties of dark matter.

Over the past two years, the unprecedented sensitivity of the Dark Energy Camera has allowed us to nearly double the known population of Milky Way satellites. These discoveries help address the "missing satellites problem" and can be used to test the particle nature of dark matter. However, they also raise new questions concerning the role of the Magellanic Clouds in the formation of the Milky Way's satellite population. I will summarize recent results, outstanding questions, and upcoming advances in the study of the Milky Way's dark companions.