Correct Relic Density Research Articles

Combined collider constraints on neutralinos and charginos

Searches for supersymmetric electroweakinos have entered a crucial phase, as the integrated luminosity of the Large Hadron Collider is now high enough to compensate for their weak production cross-sections. Working in a framework where the neutralinos and charginos are the only light sparticles in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, we use GAMBIT to perform a detailed likelihood analysis of the electroweakino sector. We focus on the impacts of recent ATLAS and CMS searches with of 13 TeV proton-proton collision data. We also include constraints from LEP and invisible decays of the Z and Higgs bosons. Under the background-only hypothesis, we show that current LHC searches do not robustly exclude any range of neutralino or chargino masses. However, a pattern of excesses in several LHC analyses points towards a possible signal, with neutralino masses of = (8–155, 103–260, 130–473, 219–502) GeV and chargino masses of = (104–259, 224–507) GeV at the 95% confidence level. The lightest neutralino is mostly bino, with a possible modest Higgsino or wino component. We find that this excess has a combined local significance of 3.3sigma , subject to a number of cautions. If one includes LHC searches for charginos and neutralinos conducted with 8 TeV proton-proton collision data, the local significance is lowered to 2.9sigma . We briefly consider the implications for dark matter, finding that the correct relic density can be obtained through the Higgs-funnel and Z-funnel mechanisms, even assuming that all other sparticles are decoupled. All samples, GAMBIT input files and best-fit models from this study are available on Zenodo.

Multicomponent dark matter from a hidden gauged SU(3)

We study Dark Matter (DM) phenomenology with multiple DM species consisting of both scalar and vector DM particles. More specifically, we study the Hidden Gauged SU(3) model of Arcadi {\it et al}. Before proceeding to the Hidden Gauged SU(3) model, we study the relic abundances of simplified multi-species DM scenarios to gain some insights when multiple species and interactions are included. In the Hidden Gauged SU(3) model, because of the large parameter space, we restrict ourselves to three representative benchmark points, each with multiple DM species. The relic densities for the benchmark points were found using a program developed to solve the coupled Boltzmann equations for an arbitrary number of interacting DM species with two particles in the final state. For each case, we varied the mass of the DM particles and then found the value of the dark SU(3) gauge coupling that gives the correct relic density. We found that in some regions of the parameter space, the DM would be difficult to observe in direct detection experiments while easier to observe in indirect detection experiments and vice versa, so that complementary measurements could help pinpoint the details of the Hidden Gauged SU(3) model. Important to this, is that even for moderate changes in input parameter values, the relative relic density of each species can change significantly resulting in large changes in the observability of multi-species DM by direct or indirect detection.

Cutoff of IceCube neutrino spectrum due to t-channel resonant absorption by CνB

The non-observation of neutrinos by the IceCube at the Glashow resonance energy of 6.3 PeV has been a long standing unresolved issue. In this paper we propose a t-channel neutrino absorption by the CνB, which causes a cutoff at 4.5 PeV neutrino energy, to explain the IceCube observations. We present a neutrinophilic 2HDM where the neutrino masses are generated by a low scale seesaw mechanism. A \U0001d4aa(10) MeV scalar mediates the interactions between left and right handed neutrinos and generates the t-channel diagram used for explaining the absence of Glashow resonance. The same scalar mediates the annihilation of the dark matter and generates the correct relic density.

TeV SUSY dark matter confronted with the current direct and indirect detection data

In the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) the lightest superparticle (LSP) can be a TeV neutralino (mainly dominated by higgsino or wino) which serves as a dark matter candidate with correct thermal relic density. In this work we confront the 1–3 TeV neutralino dark matter with the latest direct and indirect detections from PandaX and AMS-02/DAMPE. Considering various scenarios with decoupled sfermions, with A-mediated annihilation, with squark or stop coannihilation, we find that the parameter space is stringently constrained by the direct detection limits. In the allowed parameter space, the TeV neutralino dark matter annihilation contribution to the anti-proton flux is found to agree with the AMS-02 data while its contribution to eletron/positron flux is too small to cause any visible excess.

Dark sector portal with vectorlike leptons and flavor sequestering

We consider models with fermionic dark matter that transforms under a non-Abelian dark gauge group. Exotic, vectorlike leptons that also transform under the dark gauge group can mix with standard model leptons after spontaneous symmetry breaking and serve as a portal between the dark and visible sectors. We show in an explicit, renormalizable model based on a dark SU(2) gauge group how this can lead to adequate dark matter annihilation to a standard model lepton flavor so that the correct relic density is obtained. We identify a discrete symmetry that allows mass mixing between the vectorlike fermions and a single standard model lepton flavor, while preventing mixing between these fields and the remaining standard model leptons. This flavor sequestering avoids unwanted lepton-flavor-violating effects, substantially relaxing constraints on the mass scale of the vectorlike states. We discuss aspects of the phenomenology of the model, including direct detection of the dark matter.

Signatures of dark Higgs boson in light fermionic dark matter scenarios

Thermal dark matter scenarios based on light (sub-GeV) fermions typically require the presence of an extra dark sector containing both a massive dark photon along with a dark Higgs boson. The latter typically generates both the dark photon mass and an additional mass term for the dark sector fermions. This simple setup has both rich phenomenology and bright detection prospects at high-intensity accelerator experiments. We point out that in addition to the well studied pseudo-Dirac regime, this model can achieve the correct relic density in three different scenarios, and examine in details their properties and experimental prospects. We emphasize in particular the effect of the dark Higgs boson on both detection prospects and cosmological bounds.

Low-temperature enhancement of semi-annihilation and the AMS-02 positron anomaly

Semi-annihilation is a generic feature of particle dark matter that is most easily probed by cosmic ray experiments. We explore models where the semi-annihilation cross section is enhanced at late times and low temperatures by the presence of an s-channel resonance near threshold. The relic density is then sensitive to the evolution of the dark matter temperature, and we compute expressions for the associated Boltzmann equation valid in general semi-annihilating models. At late times, a self-heating effect warms the dark matter, allowing number-changing processes to remain effective long after kinetic decoupling of the dark and visible sectors. This allows the semi-annihilation signal today to be enhanced by up to five orders of magnitude over the thermal relic cross section. As a case study, we apply this to a dark matter explanation of the positron excess seen by AMS-02. We see that unlike annihilating dark matter, our model has no difficulty fitting the data while also giving the correct relic density. However, constraints from the CMB and γ-rays from the galactic centre do restrict the preferred regions of parameter space.

PeV scale supersymmetry breaking and the IceCube neutrino flux

The observation of very high energy neutrino events at IceCube has grasped a lot of attention in the fields of both astrophysics and particle physics. It has been speculated that these high energy neutrinos might originate either from purely conventional astrophysical sources or from the late decay of a super heavy (PeV scale) dark matter (DM) particle. In order for decaying DM to be a dominant source of the IceCube high-energy neutrinos, it would require an unusually suppressed value of the coupling of DM to neutrinos. We attempt to explain this small coupling in the context of an R-parity conserving minimal supergravity model which has right-handed neutrino superfields. With the main assumptions of super-partner masses at the PeV scale and also a reheating temperature not much larger than the PeV scale, we find in our model several natural order-of-magnitude “miracles”, (i) the gravitino is produced via freeze-in as a DM candidate with the correct relic density (ii) the right-handed (RH) sneutrino makes up only a tiny fraction (10−6), of the present day energy density of the universe, yet its decay lifetime to the gravitino and neutrinos is such that it naturally predicts the right order-of-magnitude for the IceCube neutrino flux. The long lifetime of the RH sneutrino is explained by the existence of a global R-symmetry which is only broken due to supersymmetry breaking effects. Our model also predicts a flux of 100 TeV gamma rays from the decaying RH sneutrino which are within the current observational constraints.

Categorisation and detection of dark matter candidates from string/M-theory hidden sectors

We study well-motivated dark matter candidates arising from weakly-coupled hidden sectors in compactified string/M-theory. Imposing generic top-down constraints greatly restricts allowed candidates. By considering the possible mechanisms for achieving the correct dark matter relic density, we compile categories of viable dark matter candidates and annihilation mediators. We consider the case where supersymmetry breaking occurs via moduli stabilisation and is gravitationally mediated to the visible and other hidden sectors, without assuming sequestering of the sector in which supersymmetry is broken. We find that in this case, weakly-coupled hidden sectors only allow for fermionic dark matter. Additionally, most of the mechanisms for obtaining the full relic density only allow for a gauge boson mediator, such as a dark Z′. Given these considerations, we study the potential for discovering or constraining the allowed parameter space given current and future direct detection experiments, and direct production at the LHC. We also present a model of a hidden sector which would contain a satisfactory dark matter candidate.

Status of natural supersymmetry from the generalized minimal supergravity in light of the current LHC run-2 and LUX data

We study natural supersymmetry in the Generalized Minimal Supergravity (GmSUGRA). For the parameter space with low energy electroweak fine-tuning measures less than 50, we are left with only the $Z$-pole, Higgs-pole and Higgsino LSP scenarios for dark matter (DM). We perform the focused scans for such parameter space and find that it satisfies various phenomenological constraints and is compatible with the current direct detection bound on neutralino DM reported by the LUX experiment. Such parameter space also has solutions with correct DM relic density besides the solutions with DM relic density smaller or larger than 5$\sigma$ WMAP9 bounds. We present five benchmark points as examples. In these benchmark points, gluino and the first two generations of squarks are heavier than 2 TeV, stop $\tilde t_{1,2}$ are in the mass range $[1,2]$ TeV, while sleptons are lighter than 1 TeV. Some part of the parameter space can explain the muon anomalous magnetic moment within 3$\sigma$ as well. We also perform the collider study of such solutions by implementing and comparing with relevant studies done by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations. We find that the points with Higgsino dominant $\tilde{\chi}_2^0/\tilde{\chi_1}^\pm$ mass up to $300$ GeV are excluded in $Z$-pole scenario while for Higgs-pole scenario, the points with $\tilde{\chi}_2^0$ mass up to $460$ GeV are excluded. We also notice that the Higgsino LSP points in our present scans are beyond the reach of present LHC searches. Next, we show that for both the $Z$-pole and Higgs-pole scenarios, the points with electroweak fine-tuning measure around 20 do still survive.

Resolving phenomenological problems with strongly-interacting-massive-particle models with dark vector resonances

We consider a light dark matter candidate that is produced by the freeze-out mechanism with $3\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2$ annihilations, the so-called strongly interacting massive particles (SIMPs). SIMPs are identified as dark pions in dark chiral perturbation theory (ChPT) in which both light mass and strong coupling needed for SIMPs can be realized by strong dynamics. In QCD-like theories with $SU(3{)}_{L}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}SU(3{)}_{R}/SU(3{)}_{V}$ flavor symmetry, including dark vector mesons in the hidden local symmetry scheme, we illustrate that dark vector mesons unitarize the dark ChPT efficiently, thus determining the correct relic density condition within the validity of the dark ChPT.

From inflation to cosmological electroweak phase transition with a complex scalar singlet

In this work, we investigate the possibility to realize inflation and strong first order electroweak phase transitions(SFOEWPT) together with the relic density explanation. We studied the usual Higgs-portal real singlet dark matter model and the global U(1) breaking complex singlet model with the pseudoscalar being dark matter candidate. We focus on higher dark matter parameter regions due to the lower dark matter masses region are almost excluded by the current direct detection experiments except that of the so-called ${\it Higgs~ funnel ~regime}$ with $m_{DM}\sim m_h/2$. In both models, the SFOEWPT can occur through two-step where the magnitude of the Higgs-singlet quartic couplings can account for the Higgs or singlet inflation. The usual Higgs-portal real singlet dark matter model can not address the correct relic density together with the explanation of inflation and SFOEWPT. With the complex singlet model, the correct relic density can also be obtained simultaneously when the mixing angle $0.1<\theta<0.2$ and the dark matter mass is $\sim800$ GeV.

Non-thermal WIMP baryogenesis

We propose a model of baryogenesis achieved by the annihilation of non-thermally produced WIMPs from decay of heavy particles, which can result in low reheating temperature. Dark matter (DM) can be produced non-thermally during a reheating period created by the decay of long-lived heavy particle, and subsequently re-annihilate to lighter particles even after the thermal freeze-out. The re-annihilation of DM provides the observed baryon asymmetry as well as the correct relic density of DM. We investigate how washout effects can affect the generation of the baryon asymmetry and study a model suppressing them. In this scenario, we find that DM can be heavy enough and its annihilation cross section can also be larger than that adopted in the usual thermal WIMP baryogenesis.

Lepton flavor violation induced by dark matter

Guided by gauge principles we discuss a predictive and falsifiable UV complete model where the Dirac fermion that accounts for the cold dark matter abundance in our universe induces the lepton flavor violation (LFV) decays $\mu \rightarrow e\gamma$ and $\mu \rightarrow e e e$ as well as $\mu-e$ conversion. We explore the interplay between direct dark matter detection, relic density, collider probes and lepton flavor violation to conclusively show that one may have a viable dark matter candidate yielding flavor violation signatures expected to be fully probed in the upcoming of experiments. Interestingly, keeping the dark matter mass not far from the TeV, our model has an approximate prediction for the maximum LFV signal one could have while reproducing the correct dark matter relic density.

Dark matter contribution to b → sμ+μ− anomaly in local [formula omitted] model

We propose a local U(1)Lμ−Lτ model to explain b→sμ+μ− anomaly observed at the LHCb and Belle experiments. The model also has a natural dark matter candidate N. We introduce SU(2)L-doublet colored scalar q˜ to mediate b→s transition at one-loop level. The U(1)Lμ−Lτ gauge symmetry is broken spontaneously by the scalar S. All the new particles are charged under U(1)Lμ−Lτ. We can obtain C9μ,NP∼−1 to solve the b→sμ+μ− anomaly and can explain the correct dark matter relic density of the universe, ΩDMh2≈0.12, simultaneously, while evading constraints from electroweak precision tests, neutrino trident experiments and other quark flavor-changing loop processes such as b→sγ and Bs−B‾s mixing. Our model can be tested by searching for Z′ and new colored scalar at the LHC and B→K⁎νν‾ process at Belle-II.

Hybrid anomaly and gravity mediation for electroweak supersymmetry

In this paper, we propose a hybrid mediation and hybrid supersymmetry breaking. In particular, the RG-invariant anomaly mediation is considered. Together with additional gravity mediation, the slepton tachyon problem of anomaly mediation is solved automatically. The special properties are that all color sparticles masses fall into several TeV regions due to the large [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] which are well beyond the scope of current LHC Run II limits. Unlike the gauge mediation, the dark matter candidate is still the lightest neutralino and the correct dark matter relic density can be realized within the framework of mixed axion-Wino dark matter. Due to the existence of multi-component axion-Wino dark matter, the direct detection cross-section is suppressed to evade the tightest LUX, PandaX bound.

MeV dark matter complementarity and the dark photon portal

We discuss the phenomenology of an MeV-scale Dirac fermion coupled to the Standard Model through a dark photon with kinetic mixing with the electromagnetic field. We compute the dark matter relic density and explore the interplay of direct detection and accelerator searches for dark photons. We show that precise measurements of the temperature and polarization power spectra of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation lead to stringent constraints, leaving a small window for the thermal production of this MeV dark matter candidate. The forthcoming MeV gamma-ray telescope e-ASTROGAM will offer important and complementary opportunities to discover dark matter particles with masses below ∼ 10 MeV . Lastly, we discuss how a late-time inflation episode and freeze-in production could conspire to yield the correct relic density while being consistent with existing and future constraints.

Dark matter production in an early matter dominated era

We investigate dark matter (DM) production in an early matter dominated era where a heavy long-lived particle decays to radiation and DM. In addition to DM annihilation into and thermal DM production from radiation, we include direct DM production from the decay of the long-lived particle. In contrast to earlier treatments the temperature dependence of the number of degrees of freedom g* in the Standard Model (SM) plasma is treated carefully. Besides the well-known cases of thermal hot and cold DM, additional regions of parameter space with the approximately correct DM relic density appear. In some of these regions the temperature dependence of g* can change the final DM density by several hundred percent. Furthermore, we analyze the effect of allowing nonvanishing initial abundances for radiation and DM. We find an upper bound on the mass of the long-lived particle if the DM annihilation cross section is below that corresponding to thermal WIMP (Weakly Interactive Massive Particle) DM in standard cosmology.

Two Higgs doublet dark matter portal

We study a fermionic dark matter model in which the interaction of the dark and visible sectors is mediated by Higgs portal type couplings. Specifically, we consider the mixing of a dark sector scalar with the scalars of a Two Higgs Doublet Model extension of the Standard Model. Given that scalar exchange will result in a spin-independent dark matter-nucleon scattering cross section, such a model is potentially subject to stringent direct detection constraints. Moreover, the addition of new charged scalars introduce non-trivial flavour constraints. Nonetheless, this model allows more freedom than a standard Higgs portal scenario involving a single Higgs doublet, and much of the interesting parameter space is not well approximated by a Simplified Model with a single scalar mediator. We perform a detailed parameter scan to determine the mass and coupling parameters which satisfy direct detection, flavour, precision electroweak, stability, and perturbativity constraints, while still producing the correct relic density through thermal freezeout.

Impact of a resonance on thermal targets for invisible dark photon searches

Dark photons in the MeV to GeV mass range are important targets for experimental searches. We consider the case where dark photons $A'$ decay invisibly to hidden dark matter $X$ through $A' \to XX$. For generic masses, proposed accelerator searches are projected to probe the thermal target region of parameter space, where the $X$ particles annihilate through $XX \to A' \to \text{SM}$ in the early universe and freeze out with the correct relic density. However, if $m_{A'} \approx 2m_X$, dark matter annihilation is resonantly enhanced, shifting the thermal target region to weaker couplings. For $\sim 10\%$ degeneracies, we find that the annihilation cross section is generically enhanced by four (two) orders of magnitude for scalar (pseudo-Dirac) dark matter. For such moderate degeneracies, the thermal target region drops to weak couplings beyond the reach of all proposed accelerator experiments in the scalar case and becomes extremely challenging in the pseudo-Dirac case. Proposed direct detection experiments can probe moderate degeneracies in the scalar case. For greater degeneracies, the effect of the resonance can be even more significant, and both scalar and pseudo-Dirac cases are beyond the reach of all proposed accelerator and direct detection experiments. For scalar dark matter, we find an absolute minimum that sets the ultimate experimental sensitivity required to probe the entire thermal target parameter space, but for pseudo-Dirac fermions, we find no such thermal target floor.