›Matera Oscura - Cosmology and Dark Matter within Galaxies and Clusters

One of the most important and long-lasting challenges of modern astrophysics is understanding and unveiling the nature of dark matter. Despite the many uncertainties on its composition, dark matter is considered the main driver of large-scale structure formation in the Universe and, together with dark energy, accounts for 95 per cent of the total energy budget of the universe. The nature of dark matter and the standard LCDM models can be tested on many scales, from the shape of the cosmic web to the properties of galaxies and galaxy clusters, down to particle physics experiments aiming at detecting the dark matter particles. This conference aims at bringing together experts on galaxies, galaxy clusters, numerical simulations and observations, as well as dark matter detectors and alternative cosmological models. In this way, we hope to encourage stimulating and comprehensive discussions on the state of the art of dark matter models and boost research collaboration between different sides.

The conference will be held in Matera, a beautiful historical city in the south of Italy. In 2019, Matera will be the “European capital of culture” and thus will host many cultural and artistic events, setting the conference in a vibrant environment.