Dark Matter Number Density Research Articles

Testing the Origins of Neutrino Mass with Supernova-Neutrino Time Delay.

The origin of neutrino masses remains unknown. Both the vacuum mass and the dark mass generated by the neutrino interaction with dark matter (DM) particles or fields can fit the current oscillation data. The dark mass squared is proportional to the DM number density and, therefore, varies on the galactic scale with much larger values around the Galactic Center. This affects the group velocity and the arrival time delay of core-collapse supernovae (SN) neutrinos. This time delay, especially for the ν_{e} neutronization peak with a sharp time structure, can be used to distinguish the vacuum and dark neutrino masses. For illustration, we explore the potential of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), which is sensitive to ν_{e}. Our simulations show that DUNE can distinguish the two neutrino mass origins at more than 5σ C.L., depending on the observed local value of neutrino mass, the neutrino mass ordering, the DM density profile, and the SN location.

Gamma-ray signal from ZN≥3 dark matter-companion models

In Ref. [10], we proposed to replace the final dark matter (DM) particle in the semi-annihilation mode DM+DM→antiDM+Higgs boson with its ZN≥3 companion, thus reducing DM number density without DM-nucleon scattering. In this work, we study the indirect detection signals from DM annihilation, the Higgs boson pair with one of them from the companion decay being on- or off- shell, depending on the DM-companion mass splitting. We generate the photon spectrum by using PYTHIA8 and study the properties of the spectrum, to find that the hard part of the spectrum in our model is mainly shaped by the direct Higgs boson and thus does not differ much from that of the conventional semi-annihilation mode. Using the Fermi-LAT data of dwarf spheroidal galaxies, we derive the current limit of the DM annihilation cross section for DM+DM→companion⁎+Higgs boson, and for the relatively light DM, it reaches the typical thermal cross section. However, for the TeV scale DM, we have to rely on the Cherenkov Telescope Array, which is able to rule out the whole parameter space except for the coannihilation region.

Effect of Ultralight Dark Matter on g-2 of the Electron.

If dark matter is ultralight, the number density of dark matter is very high, and the techniques of zero-temperature field theory are no longer valid. The dark matter number density modifies the vacuum, giving it a non-negligible particle occupation number. For fermionic dark matter, this occupation number can be no larger than one. However, in the case of bosons, the occupation number is unbounded. If there is a large occupation number, the Bose enhancement needs to be taken into consideration for any process involving particles which interact with the dark matter. Because the occupation number scales inversely with the dark matter mass, this effect is most prominent for ultralight dark matter. In fact, the Bose enhancement effect from the background is so significant for ultralight dark matter that, if dark matter is a dark photon, the correction to the anomalous magnetic moment is larger than experimental uncertainties for a mixing parameter of the order of 10^{-16} and a dark photon mass of the order of 10^{-20} eV. Furthermore, the constraint on the mixing parameter scales linearly with the dark photon mass, and so new significant constraints can be placed on the dark matter mass all the way up to 10^{-14} eV. Future experiments measuring g-2 will probe even smaller gauge mixing parameters.

Early kinetic decoupling effect on the forbidden dark matter annihilations into standard model particles

The early kinetic decoupling (eKD) effect is an inevitable ingredient in calculating the relic density of dark matter (DM) for various well-motivated scenarios. It appears naturally in forbidden dark matter annihilation, the main focus of this work, which contains fermionic DM and a light singlet scalar that connects the DM and standard model (SM) leptons. The strong suppression of the scattering between DM and SM particles happens quite early in the DM depletion history, where the DM temperature drops away from the thermal equilibrium, $T_\chi < T_{\rm SM}$, leading to the decreased kinetic energy of DM. The forbidden annihilation thus becomes inefficient since small kinetic energy cannot help exceed the annihilation threshold, naturally leading to a larger abundance. To show the eKD discrepancy, we numerically solve the coupled Boltzmann equations that govern the evolution of DM number density and temperature. It is found that eKD significantly affects the DM abundance, resulting in almost an order of magnitude higher than that by the traditional calculation. We also discuss the constraints from experimental searches on the model parameters, where the viable parameter space shrinks when considering the eKD effect.

An asymmetric SIMP dark matter model

In this paper, we construct the first asymmetric strongly interacting massive particles (SIMP) dark matter (DM) model, where a new vector-like fermion and a new complex scalar both having nonzero chemical potentials can be asymmetric DM particles. After the spontaneous breaking of a U(1)D dark gauge symmetry, these two particles can have accidental ℤ4 charges making them stable. By adding one more complex scalar as a mediator between the SIMP DM, the relic density of DM is determined by 3 → 2 and two-loop induced 2 → 2 annihilations in this model. On the other hand, the SIMP DM can maintain kinetic equilibrium with the thermal bath until the DM freeze-out temperature via the new gauge interaction. Interestingly, this model can have a bouncing effect on DM, whereby the DM number density rises after the chemical freeze-out of DM. With this effect, the prediction of the DM self-interacting cross section in this model can be consistent with astrophysical observations, and the ratio of the DM energy density to the baryonic matter energy density can be explained by primordial asymmetries. We also predict the DM-electron elastic scattering cross section that can be used to test this model in future projected experiments.

Scalar and fermion two-component SIMP dark matter with an accidental ℤ4 symmetry

In this paper, we construct for the first time a two-component strongly interacting massive particles (SIMP) dark matter (DM) model, where a complex scalar and a vector-like fermion play the role of the SIMP DM candidates. These two particles are stable due to an accidental ℤ4 symmetry after the breaking of a U(1)D gauge symmetry. By introducing one extra complex scalar as a mediator between the SIMP particles, this model can have 3 → 2 processes that determine the DM relic density. On the other hand, the SIMP DM particles can maintain kinetic equilibrium with the thermal bath until the DM freeze-out temperature via the U(1)D gauge couplings. Most importantly, we find an unavoidable two-loop induced 2 → 2 process tightly connecting to the 3 → 2 process that would redistribute the SIMP DM number densities after the chemical freeze-out of DM. Moreover, this redistribution would significantly modify the predictions of the self-interacting cross section of DM compared with other SIMP models. It is crucial to include the two-loop induced 2 → 2 annihilations to obtain the correct DM phenomenology.

Dark Matter from Exponential Growth.

We propose a novel mechanism for the production of dark matter (DM) from a thermal bath based on the idea that DM particles χ can transform heat bath particles ψ: χψ→χχ. For a small initial abundance of χ, this leads to an exponential growth of the DM number density in close analogy to other familiar exponential growth processes in nature. We demonstrate that this mechanism complements freeze-in and freeze-out production in a generic way, opening new parameter space to explain the observed DM abundance, and we discuss observational prospects for such scenarios.

Dark Matter Freeze-Out via Catalyzed Annihilation.

We present a new paradigm of dark matter freeze-out, where the annihilation of dark matter particles is catalyzed. We discuss in detail the regime in which the depletion of dark matter proceeds via 2χ→2A^{'} and 3A^{'}→2χ processes, where χ and A^{'} denote dark matter and the catalyst, respectively. In this regime, the dark matter number density is depleted polynomially rather than exponentially (Boltzmann suppression) as in classical weakly interacting massive particles and strongly interacting massive particles. The paradigm applies for a secluded weakly interacting dark sector with dark matter in the MeV-TeV mass range. Thecatalyzed annihilation paradigm is compatible with cosmic microwave background and big bang nucleosynthesis constraints, with enhanced indirect detection signals.

Dark matter relic abundance beyond kinetic equilibrium

We introduce DRAKE, a numerical precision tool for predicting the dark matter relic abundance also in situations where the standard assumption of kinetic equilibrium during the freeze-out process may not be satisfied. DRAKE comes with a set of three dedicated Boltzmann equation solvers that implement, respectively, the traditionally adopted equation for the dark matter number density, fluid-like equations that couple the evolution of number density and velocity dispersion, and a full numerical evolution of the phase-space distribution. We review the general motivation for these approaches and, for illustration, highlight three concrete classes of models where kinetic and chemical decoupling are intertwined in a way that quantitatively impacts the relic density: (i) dark matter annihilation via a narrow resonance, (ii) Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation and (iii) ‘forbidden’ annihilation to final states that are kinematically inaccessible at threshold. We discuss all these cases in some detail, demonstrating that the commonly adopted, traditional treatment can result in an estimate of the relic density that is wrong by up to an order of magnitude. The public release of DRAKE, along with several examples of how to calculate the relic density in concrete models, is provided at drake.hepforge.org

When freeze-out occurs due to a non-Boltzmann suppression: a study of degenerate dark sector

Exponential suppression or commonly known as the Boltzmann suppression in the number density of dark matter is the key ingredient for creating chemical imbalance prior to the usual thermal freeze-out. A degenerate/quasi-degenerate dark sector can experience a different exponential suppression in the number density analogous to the radioactive decay law leading to a delayed freeze-out mechanism of dark matter known as the co-decaying dark matter. In this work, we study the dynamics of a multicomponent dark matter from thermally decoupled degenerate dark sector in a hidden U(1)X extension of the Standard Model. We compute the relic density of dark matter frozen-out through the co-decaying mechanism by solving four coupled Boltzmann equations. We demonstrate how temperature T′ of the dark sector changes due to all types of 3 → 2 and 2 → 2 interactions along with the eternal expansion of the Universe. We find that 3 → 2 interactions enhance T′ by producing energetic particles in the dark sector while the excess heat is transferred by 2 → 2 interactions to the entire dark sector. As the direct detection is possible only through the feeble portal couplings, we investigate the neutrino and γ-ray signals from dark matter annihilation via one step cascade processes and compare our results with the measured fluxes of atmospheric neutrinos by Super-Kamiokande and diffuse γ-rays by Fermi-LAT, EGRET, INTEGRAL collaborations. We find that the present scenario easily evades all the existing bounds from atmospheric neutrino and diffuse γ-ray observations for degenerate dark sector. However, the constraints are significant for quasi degenerate scenario.

Attractive scenario for light dark matter direct detection

Direct detection of light dark matter (DM), below the GeV scale, through electron recoil can be efficient if DM has a velocity well above the virial value of $v\sim 10^{-3}$. We point out that if there is a long range attractive force sourced by bulk ordinary matter, i.e. baryons or electrons, DM can be accelerated towards the Earth and reach velocities $v\sim 0.1$ near the Earth's surface. In this "attractive scenario," all DM will be boosted to high velocities by the time it reaches direct detection apparatuses in laboratories. Furthermore, the attractive force leads to an enhanced DM number density at the Earth facilitating DM detection even more. We elucidate the implications of this scenario for electron recoil direct detection experiments and find parameters that could lead to potential signals, while being consistent with stellar cooling and other bounds. Our scenario can potentially explain the recent excess in electron recoil signals reported by the XENON1T experiment in the $\sim$ keV energy regime as well as the hint for non-standard stellar cooling.

Dark matter filtering-out effect during a first-order phase transition

If the mass of dark matter is generated from a cosmological phase transition involving the nucleation of bubbles, the corresponding bubble walls can filter out dark matter particles during the phase transition. Only particles with sufficient momentum to overcome their mass inside the bubbles can pass through the walls. As a result, the dark matter number density after the phase transition has a suppression factor $\exp(-M_\chi/2\tilde \gamma T)$, where $M_\chi$ is the dark matter mass, and $\tilde \gamma$ and $T$ are the Lorentz factor and temperature of the incoming fluid in the bubble wall rest frame, respectively. Under certain assumptions, we show that the filtering-out process can naturally provide a large suppression consistent with the observed dark matter density for a wide range of dark matter masses up to the Planck scale. Since the first-order phase transition is the decisive ingredient in our mechanism, a new connection is made between heavy dark matter scenarios and gravitational wave observations.

Model-independent astrophysical constraints on leptophilic Dark Matter in the framework of Tsallis statistics

We derive model-independent astrophysical constraints on leptophilic dark matter (DM), considering its thermal production in a supernova core and taking into account core temperature fluctuations within the framework of q-deformed Tsallis statistics. In an effective field theory approach, where the DM fermions interact with the Standard Model via dimension-six operators of either scalar-pseudoscalar, vector-axial vector, or tensor-axial tensor type, we obtain bounds on the effective cut-off scale Λ from supernova cooling and free-streaming of DM from supernova core, and from thermal relic density considerations, depending on the DM mass and the q-deformation parameter. Using Raffelt's criterion on the energy loss rate from SN1987A, we obtain a lower bound on Λ ≳ 3 (12) TeV corresponding to q = 1.0 (1.1) and an average supernova core temperature of 0TSN=3 MeV . From the optical depth criterion on the free-streaming of DM fermions from the outer 10% of the SN1987A core, the cooling bound is restricted to Λ ≳ 1 TeV . Both cooling and free-streaming bounds are insensitive to the DM mass mχ for mχ≲ TSN, whereas for mχ≫ TSN, the bounds weaken significantly due to the Boltzmann-suppression of the DM number density. We also calculate the thermal relic density of the DM particles in this setup and find that it imposes an upper bound on Λ4/mχ2, which together with the cooling/free-streaming bound significantly constrains light leptophilic DM.

Phenomenology of self-interacting dark matter in a matter-dominated universe

We study production of self-interacting dark matter (DM) during an early matter-dominated phase. As a benchmark scenario, we consider a model where the DM consists of singlet scalar particles coupled to the visible Standard Model (SM) sector via the Higgs portal. We consider scenarios where the initial DM abundance is set by either the usual thermal freeze-out or an alternative freeze-in mechanism, where DM was never in thermal equilibrium with the SM sector. For the first time, we take the effect of self-interactions within the hidden sector into account in determining the DM abundance, reminiscent to the Strongly Interacting Massive Particle (SIMP) scenario. In all cases, the number density of DM may change considerably compared to the standard radiation-dominated case, having important observational and experimental ramifications.

Dark matter Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation and bound-state decay at finite temperature

Traditional computations of the dark matter (DM) relic abundance, for models where attractive self-interactions are mediated by light force-carriers and bound states exist, rely on the solution of a coupled system of classical on-shell Boltzmann equations. This idealized description misses important thermal effects caused by the tight coupling among force-carriers and other charged relativistic species potentially present during the chemical decoupling process. We develop for the first time a comprehensive ab initio derivation for the description of DM long-range interactions in the presence of a hot and dense plasma background directly from nonequilibrium quantum field theory. Our results clarify a few conceptional aspects of the derivation and show that under certain conditions the finite temperature effects can lead to sizable modifications of DM Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation and bound-state decay rates. In particular, the scattering and bound states get strongly mixed in the thermal plasma environment, representing a characteristic difference from a pure vacuum theory computation. The main result of this work is a novel differential equation for the DM number density, written down in a form which is manifestly independent under the choice of what one would interpret as a bound or a scattering state at finite temperature. The collision term, unifying the description of annihilation and bound-state decay, turns out to have in general a nonquadratic dependence on the DM number density. This generalizes the form of the conventional Lee-Weinberg equation which is typically adopted to describe the freeze-out process. We prove that our number density equation is consistent with previous literature results under certain limits. In the limit of vanishing finite temperature corrections our central equation is fully compatible with the classical on-shell Boltzmann equation treatment. So far, finite temperature corrected annihilation rates for long-range force systems have been estimated from a method relying on linear response theory. We prove consistency between the latter and our method in the linear regime close to chemical equilibrium.

Variation of α from a dark matter force

We consider a long range scalar force that mainly couples to dark matter and unstable Standard Model states, like the muon, with tiny strength. Probing this type of force would present a challenge to observations. We point out that the dependence of the induced background scalar field on dark matter number density can cause the mass of the unstable particles to have spatial and temporal variations. These variations, in turn, leave an imprint on the value of the fine structure constant α, through threshold corrections, that could be detected in astronomical and cosmological measurements. Our mechanism can accommodate the mild preference of the Planck data for such a deviation, (αCMB−αpresent)/αpresent=(−3.6±3.7)×10−3. In this case, the requisite parameters typically imply that violations of Equivalence Principle may be within reach of future experiments.

Sub-GeV Dark Matter Shining at Future MeV γ-Ray Telescopes.

We propose a novel framework where light (sub-GeV) dark matter (DM) is detectable with future MeV γ-ray telescopes without conflicting with cosmic microwave background (CMB) data. The stable DM particle χ has a very low thermal relic abundance due to its large pair-annihilation cross section. The DM number density is stored in a slightly heavier, metastable partner ψ with suppressed pair-annihilation rates, that does not perturb the CMB, and whose late-time decays ψ→χ fill the Universe with χ DM particles. We provide explicit, model-independent realizations for this framework, and discuss constraints on late-time decays, and thus on parameters of this setup, from CMB, big bang nucleosynthesis, and large scale structure.

Emergence of the mass discrepancy-acceleration relation from dark matter-baryon interactions

The observed tightness of the mass discrepancy-acceleration relation (MDAR) poses a fine-tuning challenge to current models of galaxy formation. We propose that this relation could arise from collisional interactions between baryons and dark matter (DM) particles, without the need for modification of gravity or ad hoc feedback processes. We assume that these interactions satisfy the following three conditions: (i) the relaxation time of DM particles is comparable to the dynamical time in disk galaxies; (ii) DM exchanges energy with baryons due to elastic collisions; (iii) the product between the baryon-DM cross section and the typical energy exchanged in a collision is inversely proportional to the DM number density. As a proof of principle, we present an example of a particle physics model that gives a DM-baryon cross section with the desired density and velocity dependence. For consistency with direct detection constraints, our DM particles must be either very light (m ≪ mb) or very heavy (m≫ mb), corresponding respectively to heating and cooling of DM by baryons. In both cases, our mechanism applies and an equilibrium configuration can in principle be reached. In this exploratory paper, we focus on the heavy DM/cooling case because it is technically simpler, since the average energy exchanged turns out to be approximately constant throughout galaxies. Under these assumptions, we find that rotationally-supported disk galaxies could naturally settle to equilibrium configurations satisfying a MDAR at all radii without invoking finely tuned feedback processes. We also discuss issues related to the small scale clumpiness of baryons, as well as predictions for pressure-supported systems. We argue in particular that galaxy clusters do not follow the MDAR despite being DM-dominated because they have not reached their equilibrium configuration. Finally, we revisit existing phenomenological, astrophysical and cosmological constraints on baryon-DM interactions in light of the unusual density dependence of the cross section of DM particles.

Secretly asymmetric dark matter

We study a mechanism where the dark matter number density today arises from asymmetries generated in the dark sector in the early universe, even though total dark matter number remains zero throughout the history of the universe. The dark matter population today can be completely symmetric, with annihilation rates above those expected from thermal WIMPs. We give a simple example of this mechanism using a benchmark model of flavored dark matter. We discuss the experimental signatures of this setup, which arise mainly from the sector that annihilates the symmetric component of dark matter.

Freeze-in production of sterile neutrino dark matter in U(1)B−L model

With the advent of new and more sensitive direct detection experiments, scope for a thermal WIMP explanation of dark matter (DM) has become extremely constricted. The non-observation of thermal WIMP in these experiments has put a strong upper bound on WIMP-nucleon scattering cross section and within a few years it is likely to overlap with the coherent neutrino-nucleon cross section. Hence in all probability, DM may have some non-thermal origin. In this work we explore in detail this possibility of a non-thermal sterile neutrino DM within the framework of U(1)B−L model. The U(1)B−L model on the other hand is a well-motivated and minimal way of extending the standard model so that it can explain the neutrino masses via Type-I see-saw mechanism. We have shown, besides explaining the neutrino mass, it can also accommodate a non-thermal sterile neutrino DM with correct relic density. In contrast with the existing literature, we have found that W± decay can also be a dominant production mode of the sterile neutrino DM . To obtain the comoving number density of dark matter, we have solved here a coupled set of Boltzmann equations considering all possible decay as well as annihilation production modes of the sterile neutrino dark matter. The framework developed here though has been done for a U(1)B−L model, can be applied quite generally for any models with an extra neutral gauge boson and a fermionic non-thermal dark matter.