The short distance behavior of dark matter (DM) at galaxy scales exhibits several features not explained by the typical cold dark matter (CDM) with velocity-independent cross-section. We discuss a particle physics model with a hidden sector interacting feebly with the visible sector where a dark fermion self-interacts via a dark force with a light dark photon as the mediator. We study coupled Boltzmann equations involving two temperatures, one for each sector. We fit the velocity-dependent DM cross-section to the data from scales of dwarf galaxies to clusters consistent with relic density constraint.
We study the atomic physics and the astrophysical implications of a model in which the dark matter is the analog of hydrogen in a secluded sector. The self interactions between dark matter particles include both elastic scatterings as well as inelast
ic processes due to a hyperfine transition. The self-interaction cross sections are computed by numerically solving the coupled Schr{o}dinger equations for this system. We show that these self interactions exhibit the right velocity dependence to explain the low dark matter density cores seen in small galaxies while being consistent with all constraints from observations of clusters of galaxies. For a viable solution, the dark hydrogen mass has to be in 10--100 GeV range and the dark fine-structure constant has to be larger than 0.02. Precisely for this range of parameters, we show that significant cooling losses may occur due to inelastic excitations to the hyperfine state and subsequent decays, with implications for the evolution of low-mass halos and the early growth of supermassive black holes. Cooling from excitations to higher $n$ levels of dark hydrogen and subsequent decays is possible at the cluster scale, with a strong dependence on halo mass. Finally, we show that the minimum halo mass is in the range of $10^{3.5}$ to $10^7 M_odot$ for the viable regions of parameter space, significantly larger than the typical predictions for weakly-interacting dark matter models. This pattern of observables in cosmological structure formation is unique to this model, making it possible to rule in or rule out hidden sector hydrogen as a viable dark matter model.
We show that supersymmetric Dark Force models with gravity mediation are viable. To this end, we analyse a simple string-inspired supersymmetric hidden sector model that interacts with the visible sector via kinetic mixing of a light Abelian gauge bo
son with the hypercharge. We include all induced interactions with the visible sector such as neutralino mass mixing and the Higgs portal term. We perform a detailed parameter space scan comparing the produced dark matter relic abundance and direct detection cross sections to current experiments.
We consider a scale invariant extension of the standard model (SM) with a combined breaking of conformal and electroweak symmetry in a strongly interacting hidden $SU(n_c)$ gauge sector with $n_f$ vector-like hidden fermions. The (pseudo) Nambu-Golds
tone bosons that arise due to dynamical chiral symmetry breaking are dark matter (DM) candidates. We focus on $n_f=n_c=3$, where $SU(3)$ is the largest symmetry group of hidden flavor which can be explicitly broken into either $U(1) times U(1)$ or $SU(2)times U(1)$. We study DM properties and discuss consistent parameter space for each case. Because of different mechanisms of DM annihilation the consistent parameter space in the case of $SU(2)times U(1)$ is significantly different from that of $SU(3)$ if the hidden fermions have a SM $U(1)_Y$ charge of $O(1)$.
We consider the extension of the Standard Model (SM) with a strongly interacting QCD-like hidden sector, at least two generations of right-handed neutrinos and one scalar singlet. Once scalar singlet obtains a nonzero vacuum expectation value, active
neutrino masses are generated through type-I seesaw mechanism. Simultaneously, the electroweak scale is generated through the radiative corrections involving these massive fermions. This is the essence of the scenario that is known as the neutrino option for which the successful masses of right-handed neutrinos are in the range $10^7-10^8$ GeV. The main goal of this work is to scrutinize the potential to accommodate dark matter in such a realization. The dark matter candidates are Nambu-Goldstone bosons which appear due to the dynamical breaking of the hidden chiral symmetry. The mass spectrum studied in this work is such that masses of Nambu-Goldstone bosons and singlet scalar exceed those of right-handed neutrinos. Having the masses of all relevant particles several orders of magnitude above $mathcal{O}$(TeV), the freeze-out of dark matter is not achievable and hence we turn to alternative scenarios, namely freeze-in. The Nambu-Goldstone bosons can interact with particles that are not in SM but, however, have non-negligible abundance through their not-too-small couplings with SM. Utilizing this, we demonstrate that the dark matter in the model is successfully produced at temperature scale where the right-handed neutrinos are still stable. We note that the lepton number asymmetry sufficient for the generation of observable baryon asymmetry of the Universe can be produced in right-handed neutrino decays. Hence, we infer that the model has the potential to simultaneously address several of the most relevant puzzles in contemporary high-energy physics.
We present a model of vector dark matter that interacts through a low-mass vector mediator based on the Higgsing of an SU(2) dark sector. The dark matter is charged under a U(1) gauge symmetry. Even though this symmetry is broken, the residual global
symmetries of the theory prevent dark matter decay. We present the behavior of the model subject to the assumption that the dark matter abundance is due to thermal freeze out, including self-interaction targets for small scale structure anomalies and the possibility of interacting with the Standard Model through the vector mediator.