The nature of dark matter is a driving question of 21st century physics. Dark matter has been inferred by its gravitational pull, which influences how the universe “clumps up” to form the large- scale structures that we observe. However, the properties of dark matter are inconsistent with any form of matter ever studied here on Earth, and because it does not absorb or reflect light, dark matter cannot be observed directly by standard astronomical techniques. Hence the hunt is on for a new fundamental particle form of matter.

These dark matter particles could be unstable and decay, annihilate with each other, or subtly alter the processes within stellar interiors, imprinting characteristic signals in cosmic-ray and multi-wavelength observations. The central challenge is to distinguish these signatures from similar spectra produced by standard astrophysical processes, such as the life and death of stars and the interactions of cosmic rays with interstellar material. Our research spans from opening new windows onto astroparticle signatures of dark matter, as enabled by novel detector technology, to delivering new insights on the stellar backgrounds to these dark matter searches.