Resonant scattering and recombination of pseudodegenerate WIMPs

Abstract

We consider the direct and indirect detection signatures of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) {chi}{sup 0} in kinematic regimes with a heavier, but nearly degenerate, charged state {chi}{sup {+-}}. For small splittings of O(10) MeV, the scattering of WIMPs off nuclei may be dominated by inelastic recombination processes mediated by the formation of ({chi}{sup -}N) bound states, leading to a distinct signature for direct detection. These cross sections are bound primarily by limits on the abundance of heavy isotopes, and may be considerably larger than the elastic scattering cross section in more conventional models. If the mass splitting is too large for recombination to occur, there may still be a significant resonant enhancement of loop-induced electromagnetic form factors of the WIMP, which can enhance the elastic scattering cross section. We also discuss how this regime affects the annihilation cross section and indirect detection signatures, and note the possibility of a significant mono-energetic {gamma} signal, mediated by resonant processes near the ({chi}{sup +}{chi}{sup -}) bound-state threshold.