NEXT HIDDeN WEBINAR: Thermal Squeezeout for Strongly Interacting Dark Matter

I will discuss the potential importance of a dark-sector phase transition in the early universe in setting the measured relic abundance, for a simple model of strongly interacting dark matter. Enhancement of the dark matter density within shrinking pockets of the high-temperature phase leads to a dramatic reduction in the late-time dark matter abundance, allowing for much heavier dark matter than in the standard thermal freezeout scenario.