KMI/NITEP School 2026: Dark Matter — from Ultra Light to Super Massive

9 Mar 2026, 09:00 → 11 Mar 2026, 17:40 Asia/Tokyo

ES635 (Nagoya University)

KMI/NITEP School 2026: Dark Matter — From Ultra Light To Super Massive

This year’s edition focuses on dark matter, covering a broad landscape of candidates such as WIMPs and axions/ALPs. The lectures will address both theoretical frameworks (from cosmological production mechanisms to model building and astrophysical constraints) and experimental approaches (direct and indirect detection, collider probes, and novel instrumentation).

Jointly organized with KMI and NITEP at Osaka Metropolitan University

The 6th KMI School (KMI/NITEP School 2026) is jointly organized with the Nambu Yoichiro Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (NITEP), Osaka Metropolitan University. We are delighted to collaborate with NITEP to provide participants with a comprehensive and up-to-date view of dark matter research.

• about KMI

• about NITEP

 

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Dates & Venue

• Dates: March 9–11, 2026 (Mon–Wed)

• Venue: KMI Science Symposia (ES635), Nagoya University (Higashiyama Campus)

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Registration

• Participation Fee: Free

• Important Dates: 

  • Jan. 9, 2026 at 8:00am (UTC+09:00): Deadline for VISA application (Closed)

  • Jan. 20, 2026 at 8:00am (UTC+09:00): Deadline for travel support application (Closed)

  • Feb. 6, 2026 at 8:00am (UTC+09:00): Deadline for registragion (Closed)

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Poster Session

We encourage participants to present their research results at the poster session in the KMI/NITEP school.

We will not limit their topics to dark matter research, but all the topics related to particle physics and astrophysics are welcome. A presenter prize will be awarded to those who give the best presentation among them.

Note that the total number of posters will be limited to at most 30. If we receive more applications, contributions will be selected based on the submitted abstracts.

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Lecturers

• John Ellis

• Akira Miyazaki

• Hidetoshi Otono

• Alejandro Ibarra

• Masaki Yamashita

 

 

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Related Events at KMI

• March 12 - 14, 2026 : Gravitational Waves and the Early Universe: Accelerated Expansion, Dynamical Inhomogeneity, and Beyond

 

images 20251202_kmi_nitep_school_2026_poster.pdf

Monday 9 March

09:00 → 09:15 Opening

09:15 → 10:45 Lecture1-1

Speaker: John Ellis

10:45 → 11:15 Coffee Break

11:15 → 12:45 Lecture2-1

Speaker: Alejandro Ibarra

12:45 → 14:15 Lunch

14:15 → 15:45 Lecture3-1

Speaker: Hidetoshi Otono

15:45 → 16:15 Coffee break

16:15 → 17:45 Lecture4-1

Speaker: Masaki Yamashita

18:00 → 20:00 Reception / Poster Session

Tuesday 10 March

09:00 → 10:30 Lecture4-2

Speaker: Masaki Yamashita

10:30 → 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 → 12:30 Lecture1-2

Speaker: John Ellis

12:30 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:30 Lecture5-1: Detection of dark matter axions -- from classical microwaves to quantised photons --

Axions were originally proposed to solve the strong CP problem and are among the leading candidates for ultralight dark matter in cosmology. In contrast to particle-like dark matter candidates such as Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and Freeze-In Massive Particles (FIMPs), axions and axion-like particles can be described as a classical field. This behavior arises from their large occupation number and macroscopic de Broglie wavelength, which lead to coherent, wave-like dynamics on laboratory scales.

In the presence of a static magnetic field, non-relativistic dark matter axions can be converted into microwave photons via the inverse Primakoff effect. The resulting signal is semi-classical and forms the basis of resonant and broadband detection strategies. Particular emphasis in this lecture course will be placed on the wake-like behavior of axion dark matter and its phenomenological differences from conventional particle-like dark matter candidates.

The course covers the theoretical foundations and experimental techniques of axion detection, progressing from basic principles to current state-of-the-art approaches and future directions. The structure is as follows:

5-1) Overview of axion searches

General introduction, theoretical framework, and a survey of ongoing and planned experiments worldwide.

5-2) Classical detection schemes

Microwave cavities and materials, resonator design, signal readout, and analog and digital signal processing.

5-3) Quantum detection schemes

Coherent states and Roy J. Glauber’s theorem, quantum noise and the standard quantum limit, squeezing techniques, and photon counting.

Because some of the required quantum optical concepts may be less familiar to particle physicists, Part 5-3 includes hands-on exercises on basic quantum optics. Participants are encouraged to bring pen and paper to work through operator manipulations in bra–ket notation.

Speaker: Akira Miyazaki

15:30 → 16:00 Coffee Break

16:00 → 17:30 Lecture3-2

Speaker: Hidetoshi Otono

17:30 → 18:15 Seminar1

Speaker: Kohei Hayashi

Wednesday 11 March

09:00 → 10:30 Lecture2-2

Speaker: Alejandro Ibarra

10:30 → 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 → 12:30 Lecture5-2: Detection of dark matter axions -- from classical microwaves to quantised photons --

Axions were originally proposed to solve the strong CP problem and are among the leading candidates for ultralight dark matter in cosmology. In contrast to particle-like dark matter candidates such as Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and Freeze-In Massive Particles (FIMPs), axions and axion-like particles can be described as a classical field. This behavior arises from their large occupation number and macroscopic de Broglie wavelength, which lead to coherent, wave-like dynamics on laboratory scales.

In the presence of a static magnetic field, non-relativistic dark matter axions can be converted into microwave photons via the inverse Primakoff effect. The resulting signal is semi-classical and forms the basis of resonant and broadband detection strategies. Particular emphasis in this lecture course will be placed on the wake-like behavior of axion dark matter and its phenomenological differences from conventional particle-like dark matter candidates.

The course covers the theoretical foundations and experimental techniques of axion detection, progressing from basic principles to current state-of-the-art approaches and future directions. The structure is as follows:

5-1) Overview of axion searches

General introduction, theoretical framework, and a survey of ongoing and planned experiments worldwide.

5-2) Classical detection schemes

Microwave cavities and materials, resonator design, signal readout, and analog and digital signal processing.

5-3) Quantum detection schemes

Coherent states and Roy J. Glauber’s theorem, quantum noise and the standard quantum limit, squeezing techniques, and photon counting.

Because some of the required quantum optical concepts may be less familiar to particle physicists, Part 5-3 includes hands-on exercises on basic quantum optics. Participants are encouraged to bring pen and paper to work through operator manipulations in bra–ket notation.

Speaker: Akira Miyazaki

12:30 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:30 Lecture5-3: Detection of dark matter axions -- from classical microwaves to quantised photons --

Axions were originally proposed to solve the strong CP problem and are among the leading candidates for ultralight dark matter in cosmology. In contrast to particle-like dark matter candidates such as Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and Freeze-In Massive Particles (FIMPs), axions and axion-like particles can be described as a classical field. This behavior arises from their large occupation number and macroscopic de Broglie wavelength, which lead to coherent, wave-like dynamics on laboratory scales.

In the presence of a static magnetic field, non-relativistic dark matter axions can be converted into microwave photons via the inverse Primakoff effect. The resulting signal is semi-classical and forms the basis of resonant and broadband detection strategies. Particular emphasis in this lecture course will be placed on the wake-like behavior of axion dark matter and its phenomenological differences from conventional particle-like dark matter candidates.

The course covers the theoretical foundations and experimental techniques of axion detection, progressing from basic principles to current state-of-the-art approaches and future directions. The structure is as follows:

5-1) Overview of axion searches

General introduction, theoretical framework, and a survey of ongoing and planned experiments worldwide.

5-2) Classical detection schemes

Microwave cavities and materials, resonator design, signal readout, and analog and digital signal processing.

5-3) Quantum detection schemes

Coherent states and Roy J. Glauber’s theorem, quantum noise and the standard quantum limit, squeezing techniques, and photon counting.

Because some of the required quantum optical concepts may be less familiar to particle physicists, Part 5-3 includes hands-on exercises on basic quantum optics. Participants are encouraged to bring pen and paper to work through operator manipulations in bra–ket notation.

Speaker: Akira Miyazaki

15:30 → 16:00 Coffee Break

16:00 → 16:45 Seminar2

Speaker: Elisa Ferreira

16:45 → 17:30 Seminar3

Speaker: Kazunori Kohri

17:30 → 17:40 Closing