"Macro Dark Matter" is the title of the talk to be presented by David Jacobs, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Cape Town.

Abstract:  Dark matter is a vital component of the current best model of our universe, Lambda-CDM. There are leading candidates for what the dark matter could be, but no compelling observational or experimental evidence exists to support these particular candidates, nor any beyond-the-Standard-Model physics that might produce them. This suggests that other dark matter candidates, including ones that might arise in the Standard Model, should receive increased attention. Prof. Jacobs will discuss the general class of dark matter candidates with characteristic masses and interaction cross-sections characterized in units of grams and square centimeters, respectively -- we refer to these macroscopic candidates as Macros. Such dark matter objects could potentially be assembled out of Standard Model particles in the early universe.

Prof. Jacobs will discuss the earth-based, astrophysical, and cosmological observations used to constrain part of the Macro parameter space. Large regions remain unconstrained, however, most notably for nuclear-dense objects with masses in the range between about 50 - 10^17 and 10^20 - 10^24 grams.

A reception for Prof. Jacobs begins at 4:10 p.m. in the Anderson Lounge, Wright Lab, second floor.