No Arabic abstract
We examine the vector-portal inelastic dark matter (DM) model with DM mass $m_chi$ and dark photon mass $m_{A}$, in the `forbidden dark matter regime where $1 lesssim m_{A}/m_chi lesssim 2$, carefully tracking the dark sector temperature throughout freezeout. The inelastic nature of the dark sector relaxes the stringent cosmic microwave background (CMB) and self-interaction constraints compared to symmetric DM models. We determine the CMB limits on both annihilations involving excited states and annihilation into $e^+e^-$ through initial-state-radiation of an $A$, as well as limits on the DM self-scattering, which proceeds at the one-loop level. The unconstrained parameter space serves as an ideal target for accelerator $A$ searches, and provides a DM self-interaction cross section that is large enough to observably impact small-scale structure.
We fully explore the thermal freezeout histories of a vector-portal dark matter model, in the region of parameter space in which the ratio of masses of the dark photon $A^{prime}$ and dark matter $chi$ is in the range $1 lesssim m_{A^{prime}}/m_{chi} lesssim 2$. In this region $2 rightarrow 2$ and $3 rightarrow 2$ annihilation processes within the dark sector, as well as processes that transfer energy between the dark sector and the Standard Model, play important roles in controlling the thermal freezeout of the dark matter. We carefully track the temperatures of all species, relaxing the assumption of previous studies that the dark and Standard Model sectors remain in thermal equilibrium throughout dark matter freezeout. Our calculations reveal a rich set of novel pathways which lead to the observed relic density of dark matter, and we develop a simple analytic understanding of these different regimes. The viable parameter space in our model provides a target for future experiments searching for light (MeV-GeV) dark matter, and includes regions where the dark matter self-interaction cross section is large enough to affect the small-scale structure of galaxies.
We study a simple model of thermal dark matter annihilating to standard model neutrinos via the neutrino portal. A (pseudo-)Dirac sterile neutrino serves as a mediator between the visible and the dark sectors, while an approximate lepton number symmetry allows for a large neutrino Yukawa coupling and, in turn, efficient dark matter annihilation. The dark sector consists of two particles, a Dirac fermion and complex scalar, charged under a symmetry that ensures the stability of the dark matter. A generic prediction of the model is a sterile neutrino with a large active-sterile mixing angle that decays primarily invisibly. We derive existing constraints and future projections from direct detection experiments, colliders, rare meson and tau decays, electroweak precision tests, and small scale structure observations. Along with these phenomenological tests, we investigate the consequences of perturbativity and scalar mass fine tuning on the model parameter space. A simple, conservative scheme to confront the various tests with the thermal relic target is outlined, and we demonstrate that much of the cosmologically-motivated parameter space is already constrained. We also identify new probes of this scenario such as multi-body kaon decays and Drell-Yan production of $W$ bosons at the LHC.
We work with a UV conformal U(1) extension of the Standard Model, motivated by the hierarchy problem and recent collider anomalies. This model admits fermionic vector portal WIMP dark matter charged under the U(1) gauge group. The asymptotically safe boundary conditions can be used to fix the coupling parameters, which allows the observed thermal relic abundance to constrain the mass of the dark matter particle. This highly restricts the parameter space, allowing strong predictions to be made. The parameter space of several UV conformal U(1) scenarios will be explored, and both bounds and possible signals from direct and indirect detection observation methods will be discussed.
We examine the possibility that dark matter (DM) consists of a gapped continuum, rather than ordinary particles. A Weakly-Interacting Continuum (WIC) model, coupled to the Standard Model via a Z-portal, provides an explicit realization of this idea. The thermal DM relic density in this model is naturally consistent with observations, providing a continuum counterpart of the WIMP miracle. Direct detection cross sections are strongly suppressed compared to ordinary Z-portal WIMP, thanks to a unique effect of the continuum kinematics. Continuum DM states decay throughout the history of the universe, and observations of cosmic microwave background place constraints on potential late decays. Production of WICs at colliders can provide a striking cascade-decay signature. We show that a simple Z-portal WIC model with the gap scale between 40 and 110 GeV provides a fully viable DM candidate consistent with all current experimental constraints.
We propose a new portal coupling to dark matter by taking advantage of the nonminimally coupled portal sector to the Ricci scalar. Such a portal sector conformally induces couplings to the trace of the energy-momentum tensor of matters including highly secluded dark matter particles. The portal coupling is so feeble that dark matter is produced by freeze-in processes of scatterings and/or the decay of the mediator. We consider two concrete realizations of the portal: conformally induced Higgs portal and conformally induced mediator portal. The former case is compatible with the Higgs inflation, while the latter case can be tested by dark matter direct detection experiments.