Mechanism for Thermal Relic Dark Matter of Strongly Interacting Massive Particles

Hochberg, Yonit; Kuflik, Eric; Volansky, Tomer; Wacker, Jay G.

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.113.171301

Cited by 542 publications

(609 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Several well-motivated classes of models, such as multi-component DM models and models with non-minimal stabilization symmetries, can generate boosted DM as a product of annihilation or decay in nearby clumps of DM. The relevant processes have forms such as multi-component annihilation ψ i ψ j → ψ k ψ [7][8][9], semi-annihilation ψ i ψ j → ψ k φ (where φ is a non-DM state) [7,[10][11][12][13], 3 → 2 self-annihilation [14][15][16], or decay transition ψ i → ψ j + φ. Annihilation of DM is of particular interest, as it is required in the generic scenario that the DM abundance is set by thermal freeze-out.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detecting Boosted Dark Matter from the Sun with Large Volume Neutrino Detectors

Berger

Cui

Zhao

2015

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We study novel scenarios where thermal dark matter (DM) can be efficiently captured in the Sun and annihilate into boosted dark matter. In models with semi-annihilating DM, where DM has a non-minimal stabilization symmetry, or in models with a multi-component DM sector, annihilations of DM can give rise to stable dark sector particles with moderate Lorentz boosts. We investigate both of these possibilities, presenting concrete models as proofs of concept. Both scenarios can yield viable thermal relic DM with masses O(1)-O(100) GeV. Taking advantage of the energetic proton recoils that arise when the boosted DM scatters off matter, we propose a detection strategy which uses large volume terrestrial detectors, such as those designed to detect neutrinos or proton decays. In particular, we propose a search for proton tracks pointing towards the Sun. We focus on signals at Cherenkov-radiation-based detectors such as Super-Kamiokande (SK) and its upgrade Hyper-Kamiokande (HK). We find that with spin-dependent scattering as the dominant DM-nucleus interaction at low energies, boosted DM can leave detectable signals at SK or HK, with sensitivity comparable to DM direct detection experiments while being consistent with current constraints. Our study provides a new search path for DM sectors with non-minimal structure. Contents

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detecting Boosted Dark Matter from the Sun with Large Volume Neutrino Detectors

Berger

Cui

Zhao

2015

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“…[5], we assume DM begins in thermal equilibrium, has its number diluted through 2-to-2 annihilations, and has a temperature that tracks the photon temperature (for studies that relax at least one of these assumptions see for example Refs. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]). We consider the presence of two states charged under the symmetry that stabilizes DM: χ and ψ, where m χ < m ψ and χ is DM.…”

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confidence: 99%

Fourth Exception in the Calculation of Relic Abundances

2017

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We propose that the dark matter abundance is set by the decoupling of inelastic scattering instead of annihilations. This coscattering mechanism is generically realized if dark matter scatters against states of comparable mass from the thermal bath. Coscattering points to dark matter that is exponentially lighter than the weak scale and has a suppressed annihilation rate, avoiding stringent constraints from indirect detection. Dark matter upscatters into states whose late decays can lead to observable distortions to the blackbody spectrum of the cosmic microwave background.Introduction: Dark Matter (DM) constitutes most of the matter in our Universe, but its origin is unknown. One of the most attractive possibilities is that DM starts in thermal equilibrium in the early Universe, and its abundance is set once its annihilations become slower than the expansion rate. This framework is insensitive to initial conditions and has the further appeal of tying the DM abundance to its (potentially observable) interactions.The most widely considered possibility is that 2-to-2 annihilations to Standard Model (SM) particles set the DM relic density. This is known as the Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) paradigm [1-4] and points to DM particles with weak scale masses and crosssections. This theoretical framework has had considerable impact shaping experimental searches for DM.However it has long been appreciated that simple variations to the cosmology of thermal relics can have dramatic consequences. In a seminal paper, Ref.[5] enumerates three "exceptions" to thermal relic cosmology: (1) mutual annihilations of multiple species (coannihilations), (2) annihilations into heaver states (forbidden channels), and (3) annihilations near a pole in the cross section. These exceptions lead to phenomenology that can differ significantly from standard WIMPs (see for example [11][12][13]34]), while sharing their appealing theoretical features.In this letter, we introduce a fourth exception. Like Ref.[5], we assume DM begins in thermal equilibrium, has its number diluted through 2-to-2 annihilations, and has a temperature that tracks the photon temperature (for studies that relax at least one of these assumptions see for example Refs. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]). We consider the presence of two states charged under the symmetry that stabilizes DM: χ and ψ, where m χ < m ψ and χ is DM. We assume that χ annihilations are suppressed, and two processes are active:

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“…For example, the states of a strongly-coupled hidden sector provide a natural context [90] for strongly-interacting massive particle (SIMP) dark matter [91,92] models, in which 3 → 2 processes rather than 2 → 2 processes play a dominant role in determining the dark-matter abundance. Indeed, a number of explicit models along these lines have been constructed [93][94][95][96].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamical Dark Matter from strongly-coupled dark sectors

Huang

Thomas

2017

Phys. Rev. D

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Dynamical Dark Matter (DDM) is an alternative framework for dark-matter physics in which the dark sector comprises a vast ensemble of particle species whose Standard-Model decay widths are balanced against their cosmological abundances. Previous studies of this framework have focused on a particular class of DDM ensembles-motivated primarily by Kaluza-Klein towers in theories with extra dimensions-in which the density of dark states scales roughly as a polynomial of the mass. In this paper, by contrast, we study the properties of a different class of DDM ensembles in which the density of dark states grows exponentially with mass. Ensembles with this Hagedorn-like property arise naturally as the "hadronic" resonances associated with the confining phase of a strongly-coupled dark sector; they also arise naturally as the gauge-neutral bulk states of Type I string theories. We study the dynamical properties of such ensembles, and demonstrate that an appropriate DDM-like balancing between decay widths and abundances can emerge naturally-even with an exponentially rising density of states. We also study the effective equations of state for such ensembles, and investigate some of the model-independent observational constraints on such ensembles that follow directly from these equations of state. In general, we find that such constraints tend to introduce correlations between various properties of these DDM ensembles such as their associated mass scales, lifetimes, and abundance distributions. For example, we find that these constraints allow DDM ensembles with energy scales ranging from the GeV scale all the way to the Planck scale, but that the total present-day cosmological abundance of the dark sector must be spread across an increasing number of different states in the ensemble as these energy scales are dialed from the Planck scale down to the GeV scale. Numerous other correlations and constraints are also discussed.

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Mechanism for Thermal Relic Dark Matter of Strongly Interacting Massive Particles

Cited by 542 publications

References 39 publications

Detecting Boosted Dark Matter from the Sun with Large Volume Neutrino Detectors

Detecting Boosted Dark Matter from the Sun with Large Volume Neutrino Detectors

Fourth Exception in the Calculation of Relic Abundances

Dynamical Dark Matter from strongly-coupled dark sectors

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