Forming and Finding Dark Compact Objects

Abstract: Dissipative dark sectors can give rise to the formation of dark compact objects (DarkCOs) and black holes. I show how the microphysics properties of a particle model can be imprinted on the population of macroscopic objects. I also demonstrate a novel mechanism for the late-time production of DarkCOs and primordial black holes by considering a dissipative dark sector collapse in an early matter-dominated era before Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. Finally, I present a novel method of searching for DarkCOs if dark matter interacts with the Standard Model photon, which can be searched for as dimming effects in already-existing microlensing surveys.