Local $Z_2$ scalar dark matter model confronting galactic ${mathrm GeV}$-scale $gamma$-ray

We present a scalar dark matter (DM) model where DM ($X_I$) is stabilized by a local $Z_2$ symmetry originating from a spontaneously broken local dark $U(1)_X$. Compared with the usual scalar DM with a global $Z_2$ symmetry, the local $Z_2$ model possesses three new extra fields, dark photon $Z^{}$, dark Higgs $phi$ and the excited partner of scalar DM ($X_R$), with the kinetic mixing and Higgs portal interactions dictated by local dark gauge invariance. The resulting model can accommodate thermal relic density of scalar DM without conflict with the invisible Higgs branching ratio and the bounds from DM direct detections, thanks to the newly opened channels, $X_I X_I rightarrow Z^{} Z^{}, phiphi$. In particular, due to the new particles, the ${rm GeV}$ scale $gamma$-ray excess from the Galactic Center (GC) can be originated from the decay of dark Higgs boson which is produced in DM annihilations.

The 3.5 keV X-ray line signature from annihilating and decaying dark matter in Weinberg model

Recently two groups independently observed unidentified X-ray line signal at the energy 3.55 keV from the galaxy clusters and Andromeda galaxy. We show that this anomalous signal can be explained in annihilating dark matter model, for example, fermionic dark matter model in hidden sector with global $U(1)_X$ symmetry proposed by Weinberg. There are two scenarios for the production of the annihilating dark matters. In the first scenario the dark matters with mass 3.55 keV decouple from the interaction with Goldstone bosons and go out of thermal equilibrium at high temperature ($>$ 1 TeV) when they are still relativistic, their number density per comoving volume being essentially fixed to be the current value. The correct relic abundance of this warm dark matter is obtained by assuming that about ${cal O}(10^3)$ relativistic degrees of freedom were present at the decoupling temperature or alternatively large entropy production occurred at high temperature. In the other scenario, the dark matters were absent at high temperature, and as the universe cools down, the SM particles annihilate or decay to produce the dark matters non-thermally as in `freeze-in scenario. It turns out that the DM production from Higgs decay is the dominant one. In the model we considered, only the first scenario can explain both X-ray signal and relic abundance. The X-ray signal arises through $p$-wave annihilation of dark matter pair into two photons through the scalar resonance without violating the constraints from big bang nucleosynthesis, cosmic microwave background, and astrophysical objects such as red giants or white dwarfs. We also discuss the possibility that the signal may result from a decaying dark matter in a simple extension of Weinberg model.

Invisible Higgs Decay Width vs. Dark Matter Direct Detection Cross Section in Higgs Portal Dark Matter Models

The correlation between the invisible Higgs branching ratio ($B_h^{rm inv} $) vs. dark matter (DM) direct detection ($sigma_p^{rm SI}$) in Higgs portal DM models is usually presented in the effective field theory (EFT) framework. This is fine for singlet scalar DM, but not in the singlet fermion DM (SFDM) or vector DM (VDM) models. In this paper, we derive the explicit expressions for this correlation within UV completions of SFDM and VDM models with Higgs portals, and discuss the limitation of the EFT approach. We show that there are at least two additional hidden parameter in $sigma_p^{rm SI}$ in the UV completions: the singlet-like scalar mass $m_2$ and its mixing angle $alpha$ with the SM Higgs boson ($h$). In particular, if the singlet-like scalar is lighter than the SM Higgs boson ($m_2 < m_h cos alpha / sqrt{1 + cos^2 alpha}$), the collider bound becomes weaker than the one based on EFT.

Indirect and direct signatures of Higgs portal decaying vector dark matter for positron excess in cosmic rays

We investigate the indirect signatures of the Higgs portal $U(1)_X$ vector dark matter (VDM) $X_mu$ from both its pair annihilation and decay. The VDM is stable at renormalizable level by $Z_2$ symmetry, and thermalized by Higgs-portal interactions. It can also decay by some nonrenormalizable operators with very long lifetime at cosmological time scale. If dim-6 operators for VDM decays are suppressed by $10^{16}$ GeV scale, the lifetime of VDM with mass $sim$ 2 TeV is just right for explaining the positron excess in cosmic ray recent observed by PAMELA and AMS02 Collaborations. The VDM decaying into $mu^+ mu^-$ can fit the data, evading various constraints on cosmic rays. We give one UV-complete model as an example. This scenario for Higgs portal decaying VDM with mass around $sim2$ TeV can be tested by DM direct search at XENON1T and at the future colliders by measuring the Higgs self-couplings.

Singlet portal extensions of the standard seesaw models to dark sector with local dark symmetry: An alternative to the new minimal standard model

Assuming dark matter is absolutely stable due to unbroken dark gauge symmetry and singlet operators are portals to the dark sector, we present a simple extension of the standard seesaw model that can accommodate all the cosmological observations as well as terrestrial experiments available as of now, including leptogenesis, extra dark radiation of $sim 0.08$ (resulting in $N_{rm eff} = 3.130$ the effective number of neutrino species), Higgs inflation, small and large scale structure formation, and current relic density of scalar DM ($X$). The Higgs signal strength is equal to one as in the SM for unbroken $U(1)_X$ case with a scalar dark matter, but it could be less than one independent of decay channels if the dark matter is a dark sector fermion or if $U(1)_X$ is spontaneously broken, because of a mixing with a new neutral scalar boson in the models.