Weakly interacting massive particles in the context of Warm dark matter

⭐ Core Definition: Weakly interacting massive particles

Weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) are hypothetical particles that are one of the proposed candidates for dark matter.

There exists no formal definition of a WIMP, but broadly, it is an elementary particle which interacts via gravity and any other force (or forces) which is as weak as or weaker than the weak nuclear force, but also non-vanishing in strength. Many WIMP candidates are expected to have been produced thermally in the early Universe, similarly to the particles of the Standard Model according to Big Bang cosmology, and usually will constitute cold dark matter. Obtaining the correct abundance of dark matter today via thermal production requires a self-annihilation cross section of $\langle \sigma v\rangle$ ≃ 3×10 cm⋅s, which is roughly what is expected for a new particle in the 100 GeV/c mass range that interacts via the electroweak force.

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👉 Weakly interacting massive particles in the context of Warm dark matter

Warm dark matter (WDM) is a hypothesized form of dark matter that has properties intermediate between those of hot dark matter and cold dark matter, causing structure formation to occur bottom-up from above their free-streaming scale, and top-down below their free streaming scale. The most common WDM candidates are sterile neutrinos and gravitinos. The WIMPs (weakly interacting massive particles), when produced non-thermally, could be candidates for warm dark matter. In general, however, the thermally produced WIMPs are cold dark matter candidates.

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⭐ Core Definition: Weakly interacting massive particles
👉 Weakly interacting massive particles in the context of Warm dark matter
Weakly interacting massive particles in the context of Xenon

Weakly interacting massive particles in the context of Xenon

Xenon is a chemical element; it has symbol Xe and atomic number 54. It is a dense, colorless, odorless noble gas found in Earth's atmosphere in trace amounts. Although generally unreactive, it can undergo a few chemical reactions such as the formation of xenon hexafluoroplatinate, the first noble gas compound to be synthesized.

Xenon is used in flash lamps and arc lamps, and as a general anesthetic. The first excimer laser design used a xenon dimer molecule (Xe₂) as the lasing medium, and the earliest laser designs used xenon flash lamps as pumps. Xenon is also used to search for hypothetical weakly interacting massive particles and as a propellant for ion thrusters in spacecraft.

View the full Wikipedia page for Xenon

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⭐ Core Definition: Weakly interacting massive particles

👉 Weakly interacting massive particles in the context of Warm dark matter

Weakly interacting massive particles in the context of Xenon