Jochen Schieck

Dark Matter is an essential part of the Standard Model of Cosmology and various different observations in astronomy clearly indicate the existence of it. The most promising explanation of Dark Matter is based on the existence of weakly interacting massive particles, so called WIMPs. The Standard Model of Particle Physics describes very successfully the interaction between all known fundamental matter particles, the quarks and leptons. However, it does not contain a particle candidate explaining the Dark Matter observed in the universe – an unambiguous sign for the existence of physics beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics. Dark Matter particles can be produced in high energetic particle collisions, like at the LHC at CERN, or directly detected in dedicated low background experiments like XENON or CRESST.

HEPHY contributed significantly to the construction and commissioning of the CMS detector at the LHC and contributes to searches for physics effects beyond the Standard model. These searches are closely related to the possible production of Dark Matter particle candidates at the LHC. With the start of J. Schieck as a new director of HEPHY in fall 2013 a new experimental group will be established, working on the direct detection of Dark Matter. The new group will consist of six new members and it is planed to join an already existing direct detection Dark Matter experiment. HEPHY will contribute to the operation of the experiment and the analysis of the data.

Besides the direct searches for Dark Matter J. Schieck will be involved in the high precision experiment Belle II at the Super-KEKB accelerator in Japan. Physics beyond the Standard Model can indirectly modify known processes through loop corrections and deviations from the expected value are a clear sign for new effects. This approach offers an alternative search strategy compared to the direct searches at the LHC.