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Seminar 1: In view of the latest experimental results recently released by the ATOMKI collaboration, we critically re-examine the possible theoretical interpretation of the observed anomalies in terms of a new BSM boson X with mass ∼ 17 MeV. Employing a multipole expansion method, we estimate the range of values of the nucleon couplings to the new light state in order to match the experimental observations. Our conclusions identify the axial vector state as the most promising candidate, while other spin/parity assignments seem disfavored for a combined explanation.
Seminar 2: Astronomical and cosmological observations provide strong evidence for the existence of dark matter (DM), but its nature, including its mass and interactions with the Standard Model (SM), remains elusive. In the past few decades, significant efforts have been made to detect DM through experimental means. This program has primarily focused on detecting DM particles with masses greater than 1 GeV/c^2, driven by the hypothesis that DM is a thermal relic in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). Direct detection experiments, which aim to detect low energy nuclear recoils induced by dark matter in underground detectors, are among the many experiments developed to detect these interactions. As a result of the directional characteristics of the expected DM signal, measuring the direction of such low energy nuclear recoils would provide significant advantages to the field. This could potentially enable the rejection of the coherent neutrino background that undermines the sensitivity of experiments lacking sufficient directional capabilities. Gaseous Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) with optical readout are an innovative and promising detection technique for enhancing sensitivity to light dark matter candidates. The CYGNO experiment is advancing this technique by developing a TPC operated with gas mixtures at atmospheric pressure equipped with a Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) amplification stage that produces visible light. A high-sensitivity and high-resolution scientific CMOS camera collects the light, while a set of fast photosensors measure the drift time of the primary ionization electrons and thus allows reconstructing the third coordinate of the ionization tracks. In this contribution I will give a short introduction to directional direct DM searches, with particular emphasis on the CYGNO experiment
Ambra Mariani, Antonio Junior Iovino, Elena Pompa Pacchi, Valentina Dompè, Victor Miralles