| Abstract: |
The existence of dark matter is one of the few solid hints for physics
beyond the standard model. If dark matter has indeed particle nature,
then direct detection via scattering on atomic nuclei is one of the
most promising discovery channels. In order to calculate the cross
section, and to connect this nonrelativistic process with
astrophysical and collider searches, as well as UV model building, a
consistent setup of effective field theories for the different energy
scales is necessary. After an introduction to the physics of dark
matter, I will present our work on the explicit connection between
these energy scales, from the UV down to the nuclear scale. Previously
neglected pion-exchange contributions can change the cross section by
an order of magnitude. Furthermore, I will show that higher-order
corrections can play a significant role if the UV theory is fine
tuned.
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