Dear Colleagues,

Dark Matter presently represents one of the main challenges in several sectors of theoretical and experimental physics. Despite decades of efforts, the nature and origin of the Dark Matter component of the universe is still unknown. The lack of a direct hint about the physics of Dark Matter introduces a spread for the plausible masses and cross sections of the Dark Matter candidates, extending over many orders of magnitude. The demand for an intertwined multidisciplinary effort is evident, to deepen, on one side, the investigation of the vast scenario of possible candidates—presently ranging from WIMPSs to axions, from the broad zoology of Stable Massive Particles to objects arising as topological field configurations—and to improve, on the other side, the sensitivity of the experimental searches, which range from underground and accelerator tests, to the development of detector systems to be operated in space. Cosmic rays provide a plethora of information, a big effort being presently invested to unveil, in the cosmic ray flux, indirect signatures of Dark Matter physics, e.g., the annihilation or decay of dark matter particles. The analysis of the self-gravitational equilibrium of galactic halos, and the study of the collective relaxation mechanisms, can provide further constraints on the accessible mass ranges and the Dark Matter distribution.

This Special Issue aims at promoting original and high-quality papers on topics related to Dark Matter searches in particular relation with the physics of Cosmic Rays. The Guest Editors aim to stimulate an interdisciplinary debate, seeking papers on theoretical and experimental investigation of Dark Matter particle candidates, development of innovative detector systems and data analysis models, application of avant-garde Machine Learning techniques to the interpretation of the observational surveys, development of long-range interaction statistical models for studying the stability of self-gravitating systems as well as the short and large scale Dark Matter distribution.

We cordially invite you to submit a high-quality original research paper or review to this Special Issue, “Dark Matter and Cosmic Rays”.

Dr. Kristian Piscicchia
Dr. Francesco Nozzoli
Guest Editors

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• dark matter
• cosmic rays
• antimatter in cosmic rays
• galactic halos
• astroparticle physics
• large-scale structure of the universe
• supersymmetry
• complexity