Residual non-Abelian dark matter and dark radiation

Abstract

We propose a novel particle physics model in which vector dark matter (VDM) and dark radiation (DR) originate from the same non-Abelian dark sector. We show an illustrating example where dark SU(3) is spontaneously broken into SU(2) subgroup by the nonzero vacuum expectation value (VEV) of a complex scalar in fundamental representation of SU(3). The massless gauge bosons associated with the residual unbroken SU(2) constitute DR and help to relieve the tension in Hubble constant measurements between Planck and Hubble Space Telescope. In the meantime, massive dark gauge bosons associated with the broken generators are VDM candidates. Intrinsically, this non-Abelian VDM can interact with non-Abelian DR in the cosmic background, which results in a suppressed matter power spectrum and leads to a smaller σ8 for structure formation.