Abstract
We perform a systematic analysis of dark matter production during post-inflationary reheating. Following the period of exponential expansion, the inflaton begins a period of damped oscillations as it decays. These oscillations and the evolution of temperature of the thermalized decay products depend on the shape of the inflaton potential $V(\Phi)$. We consider potentials of the form $\Phi^k$. Standard matter-dominated oscillations occur for $k=2$. In general, the production of dark matter may depend on either (or both) the maximum temperature after inflation, or the reheating temperature, where the latter is defined when the Universe becomes radiation dominated. We show that dark matter production is sensitive to the inflaton potential and depends heavily on the maximum temperature when $k>2$. We also consider the production of dark matter with masses larger than the reheating temperature.
Highlights
Since the first computation indicating the presence of a dark component in our Galaxy by Poincarein 1906 [1], there were observations of the Coma cluster by Zwicky [2] in 1933 and the analysis of the Andromeda rotation curve by Babcock in 1935 [3], leading to the proposition of a microscopic dark component by Steigman et al in 1978 [4]
We show that dark matter production is sensitive to the inflaton potential and depends heavily on the maximum temperature when k > 2
Needed to form structure is the existence of dark matter
Summary
Since the first computation indicating the presence of a dark component in our Galaxy by Poincarein 1906 [1], there were observations of the Coma cluster by Zwicky [2] in 1933 and the analysis of the Andromeda rotation curve by Babcock in 1935 [3], leading to the proposition of a microscopic dark component by Steigman et al in 1978 [4]. The WIMP miracle is based on the hypothesis of a dark matter particle in thermal equilibrium with the Standard Model over a period of time in the early Universe. The visible and dark sectors can be secluded because of the smallness of their couplings, even Planck suppressed as in the case of the gravitino [19,32,33,34,35,36,37] Another possibility is that the two sectors communicate only through the exchange of very massive fields, that may be more massive than the reheating temperature. We consider, the effect of oscillations produced by a potential of the form These oscillations alter the equation of state during reheating and affect the evolution of temperature as the Universe expands.
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