| Abstract: |
For decades, the search for new physics has largely focused on models with contact-type interactions, in which heavy mediators produce short-range forces. This framework has shaped both theoretical approaches and experimental strategies in particle physics and cosmology. However, as experiments continue to probe higher energy scales and smaller couplings, new possibilities are emerging. In many well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model — involving dark sectors or even the electroweak interactions — forces may instead manifest as long-ranged, in the sense that they are mediated by particles that are much lighter than those they couple to. Long-range forces can leave distinct signatures and influence cosmological dynamics. In this colloquium, I will outline the motivations for considering long-range interactions and explore their role in dark matter physics and baryogenesis. |
