No Arabic abstract
We present a novel study of the non-abelian vector dark matter candidate $W^prime$ with a MeV$-$GeV low mass range, accompanied by a dark photon $A^prime$ and a dark $Z^prime$ of similar masses in the context of a simplified gauged two-Higgs-doublet model. The model is scrutinized by taking into account various experimental constraints including dark photon searches, electroweak precision data, relic density of dark matter together with its direct and indirect searches, mono-jet and Higgs collider physics from LHC. The viable parameter space of the model consistent with all experimental and theoretical constraints is exhibited. While a dark $Z^prime$ can be the dominant contribution in the relic density due to resonant annihilation of dark matter, a dark photon is crucial to dark matter direct detection. We demonstrate that the parameter space can be further probed in the near future by sub-GeV dark matter experiments like CDEX, NEWS-G and SuperCDMS.
We propose a new class of dark matter models with unusual phenomenology. What is ordinary about our models is that dark matter particles are WIMPs, they are weakly coupled to the Standard Model and have weak scale masses. What is unusual is that they come in multiplets of a new dark non-Abelian gauge group with milli-weak coupling. The massless dark gluons of this dark gauge group contribute to the energy density of the universe as a form of weakly self-interacting dark radiation. In this paper we explore the consequences of having i.) dark matter in multiplets ii.) self-interacting dark radiation and iii.) dark matter which is weakly coupled to dark radiation. We find that i.) dark matter cross sections are modified by multiplicity factors which have significant consequences for collider searches and indirect detection, ii.) dark gluons have thermal abundances which affect the CMB as dark radiation. Unlike additional massless neutrino species the dark gluons are interacting and have vanishing viscosity and iii.) the coupling of dark radiation to dark matter represents a new mechanism for damping the large scale structure power spectrum. A combination of additional radiation and slightly damped structure is interesting because it can remove tensions between global $Lambda$CDM fits from the CMB and direct measurements of the Hubble expansion rate ($H_0$) and large scale structure ($sigma_8$).
We present a new mechanism for producing the correct relic abundance of dark photon dark matter over a wide range of its mass, extending down to $10^{-20},mathrm{eV}$. The dark matter abundance is initially stored in an axion which is misaligned from its minimum. When the axion starts oscillating, it efficiently transfers its energy into dark photons via a tachyonic instability. If the dark photon mass is within a few orders of magnitude of the axion mass, $m_{gamma}/m_a = {cal O}(10^{-3} - 1)$, then dark photons make up the dominant form of dark matter today. We present a numerical lattice simulation for a benchmark model that explicitly realizes our mechanism. This mechanism firms up the motivation for a number of experiments searching for dark photon dark matter.
We consider a simple abelian vector dark matter (DM) model, where {it only} the DM $(widetilde{X}_mu)$ couples non-minimally to the scalar curvature $(widetilde{R})$ of the background spacetime via an operator of the form $sim widetilde{X}_mu,widetilde{X}^mu,widetilde{R}$. By considering the standard freeze-out scenario, we show, it is possible to probe such a non-minimally coupled DM in direct detection experiments for a coupling strength $xisimmathcal{O}left(10^{30}right)$ and DM mass $m_Xlesssim 55$ TeV, satisfying Planck observed relic abundance and perturbative unitarity. We also discuss DM production via freeze-in, governed by the non-minimal coupling, that requires $xilesssim 10^5$ to produce the observed DM abundance over a large range of DM mass depending on the choice of the reheating temperature. We further show, even in the absence of the non-minimal coupling, it is possible to produce the whole observed DM abundance via 2-to-2 scattering of the bath particles mediated by massless gravitons.
Combining the $bto smu^+mu^-$ anomaly and dark matter observables, we study the capability of LHC to test dark matter, $Z^{prime}$, and vector-like quark. We focus on a local $U(1)_{L_mu-L_tau}$ model with a vector-like $SU(2)_L$ doublet quark $Q$ and a complex singlet scalar whose lightest component $X_I$ is a candidate of dark matter. After imposing relevant constraints, we find that the $bto smu^+mu^-$ anomaly and the relic abundance of dark matter favor $m_{X_I}< 350$ GeV and $m_{Z^{prime}}< 450$ GeV for $m_Q<$ 2 TeV and $m_{X_R}<$ 2 TeV (the heavy partner of $m_{X_I}$). The current searches for jets and missing transverse momentum at the LHC sizably reduce the mass ranges of the vector-like quark, and $m_Q$ is required to be larger than 1.7 TeV. Finally, we discuss the possibility of probing these new particles at the high luminosity LHC via the QCD process $pp to Dbar{D}$ or $pp to Ubar{U}$ followed by the decay $Dto s (b) ZX_I$ or $U to u (c) Z X_I$ and then $Ztomu^+mu^-$. Taking a benchmark point of $m_Q$=1.93 TeV, $m_{Z^prime}=170$ GeV, and $m_{X_I}=$ 145 GeV, we perform a detailed Monte Carlo simulation, and find that such benchmark point can be accessible at the 14 TeV LHC with an integrated luminosity 3000 fb$^{-1}$.
Searches for dark photons provide serendipitous discovery potential for other types of vector particles. We develop a framework for recasting dark photon searches to obtain constraints on more general theories, which includes a data-driven method for determining hadronic decay rates. We demonstrate our approach by deriving constraints on a vector that couples to the $B!-!L$ current, a leptophobic $B$ boson that couples directly to baryon number and to leptons via $B$-$gamma$ kinetic mixing, and on a vector that mediates a protophobic force. Our approach can easily be generalized to any massive gauge boson with vector couplings to the Standard Model fermions, and software to perform any such recasting is provided at https://gitlab.com/philten/darkcast .