We present a novel mechanism for Sommerfeld enhancement for dark matter interactions without the need for light mediators. Considering a model for two-component scalar dark matter with a triple coupling, we find that there appears an $u$-channel reso
nance in dark matter elastic scattering. From the sum of the corresponding ladder diagrams, we obtain a Bethe-Salpeter equation with a delay term and identify the Sommerfeld factor for two-component dark matter from the effective Yukawa potential for the first time. We discuss the implications of our results for enhancing dark matter self-scattering and annihilation.
We propose a new construction of the supergravity inflation as an UV completion of the Higgs-$R^2$ inflation. In the dual description of $R^2$-supergravity, we show that there appear dual chiral superfields containing the scalaron or sigma field in t
he Starobinsky inflation, which unitarizes the supersymmetric Higgs inflation with a large non-minimal coupling up to the Planck scale. We find that a successful slow-roll inflation is achievable in the Higgs-sigma field space, but under the condition that higher curvature terms are introduced to cure the tachyonic mass problems for spectator singlet scalar fields. We also discuss supersymmetry breaking and its transmission to the visible sector as a result of the couplings of the dual chiral superfields and the non-minimal gravity coupling of the Higgs fields.
We consider the thermal production of axino dark matter in high-scale supersymmetry where all the superpartners except the axino are heavier than the maximum and reheating temperatures. In this case, the axinos are produced dominantly in pairs from t
he scattering of SM particles in thermal plasma in the early Universe after inflation. We find that the thermal averaged scattering cross section for the axino pair production is given by $langlesigma vrangle propto T^4$ in Kim-Shifman-Vainstein-Zakharov (KSVZ) axion model, while it does not depend on the temperature in Dine-Fischler-Srednicki-Zhitnitski (DFSZ) axion model. As a result, the axinos produced during the early matter domination is diluted by the entropy production, so the axino abundance is determined mainly by the reheating temperature, unlike the case with gravitino dark matter. We show that the axino pair production in DFSZ model opens up new parameter space for axino dark matter, due to non-decoupled Higgsino interactions at tree level.
We discuss the local (gauged) Weyl symmetry and its spontaneous breaking and apply it to model building beyond the Standard Model (SM) and inflation. In models with non-minimal couplings of the scalar fields to the Ricci scalar, that are conformal in
variant, the spontaneous generation by a scalar field(s) vev of a positive Newton constant demands a negative kinetic term for the scalar field, or vice-versa. This is naturally avoided in models with additional Weyl gauge symmetry. The Weyl gauge field $omega_mu$ couples to the scalar sector but not to the fermionic sector of a SM-like Lagrangian. The field $omega_mu$ undergoes a Stueckelberg mechanism and becomes massive after eating the (radial mode) would-be-Goldstone field (dilaton $rho$) in the scalar sector. Before the decoupling of $omega_mu$, the dilaton can act as UV regulator and maintain the Weyl symmetry at the {it quantum} level, with relevance for solving the hierarchy problem. After the decoupling of $omega_mu$, the scalar potential depends only on the remaining (angular variables) scalar fields, that can be the Higgs field, inflaton, etc. We show that successful inflation is then possible with one of these scalar fields identified as the inflaton. While our approach is derived in the Riemannian geometry with $omega_mu$ introduced to avoid ghosts, the natural framework is that of Weyl geometry which for the same matter spectrum is shown to generate the same Lagrangian, up to a total derivative.
We investigate the ultraviolet (UV) behaviour of 6D N=1 supersymmetric effective (Abelian) gauge theories compactified on a two-torus ($T_2$) with magnetic flux. To this purpose we compute offshell the one-loop correction to the Wilson line state sel
f-energy. The offshell calculation is actually necessary to capture the usual effective field theory expansion in powers of $(partial/Lambda)$. Particular care is paid to the regularization of the (divergent) momentum integrals, which is relevant for identifying the corresponding counterterm(s). We find a counterterm which is a new higher dimensional effective operator of dimension d=6, that is enhanced for a larger compactification area (where the effective theory applies) and is consistent with the symmetries of the theory. Its consequences are briefly discussed and comparison is made with orbifold compactifications without flux.
We derive a general criterion that defines all single-field models leading to Starobinsky-like inflation and to universal predictions for the spectral index and tensor-to-scalar ratio, which are in agreement with Planck data. Out of all the theories
that satisfy this criterion, we single out a special class of models with the interesting property of retaining perturbative unitarity up to the Planck scale. These models are based on induced gravity, with the Planck mass determined by the vacuum expectation value of the inflaton.
We consider brane world models with one extra dimension. In the bulk there is in addition to gravity a three form gauge potential or equivalently a scalar (by generalisation of electric magnetic duality). We find classical solutions for which the 4d
effective cosmological constant is adjusted by choice of integration constants. No go theorems for such self-tuning mechanism are circumvented by unorthodox Lagrangians for the three form respectively the scalar. It is argued that the corresponding effective 4d theory always includes tachyonic Kaluza-Klein excitations or ghosts. Known no go theorems are extended to a general class of models with unorthodox Lagrangians.
We consider cosmological consequences of a heavy axino, decaying to the neutralino in R-parity conserving models. The importance and influence of the axino decay on the resultant abundance of neutralino dark matter depends on the lifetime and the ene
rgy density of axino. For a high reheating temperature after inflation, copiously produced axinos dominate the energy density of the universe and its decay produces a large amount of entropy. As a bonus, we obtain that the upper bound on the reheating temperature after inflation via gravitino decay can be moderated, because the entropy production by the axino decay more or less dilutes the gravitinos.
We study the scalar perturbation sector of the general axisymmetric warped Salam-Sezgin model with codimension-2 branes. We focus on the perturbations which mix with the dilaton. We show that the scalar fluctuations analysis can be reduced to studyin
g two scalar modes of constant wavefunction, plus modes of non-constant wavefunction which obey a single Schroedinger equation. From the obtained explicit solution of the scalar modes, we point out the importance of the non-constant modes in describing the four dimensional effective theory. This observation remains true for the unwarped case and was neglected in the relevant literature. Furthermore, we show that the warped solutions are free of instabilities.
We explore solutions of six dimensional gravity coupled to a non-linear sigma model, in the presence of co-dimension two branes. We investigate the compactifications induced by a spherical scalar manifold and analyze the conditions under which they a
re of finite volume and singularity free. We discuss the issue of single-valuedness of the scalar fields and provide some special embedding of the scalar manifold to the internal space which solves this problem. These brane solutions furnish some self-tuning features, however they do not provide a satisfactory explanation of the vanishing of the effective four dimensional cosmological constant. We discuss the properties of this model in relation with the self-tuning example based on a hyperbolic sigma model.
