Dark matter in the framework of the shell-universe

We show that the shell-universe model (used to explain the observed expansion rate of the universe without a dark energy component) provides a natural mechanism for local increasing of the brane tension leading to the modified Newtons law alternative to galactic dark matter.     

Testing a new sterile neutrino dark matter candidate

A new class of sterile neutrino dark matter is suggested by an explanation for time variations in the solar neutrino flux in which coupling of sterile neutrinos to other matter is via a very small flavor off-diagonal transition magnetic moment, TMM. The dark matter sterile neutrino’s decay in the radiative channel then depends on the local magnetic field and the unknown value of the TMM. An interesting application of this model uses the DAMA/LIBRA claimed detection of dark matter (assuming they are observing the electromagnetic signal) to provide the decay rate in the Earth’s field, and hence the TMM value. That version of the model is then examined to see if it can be falsified by cosmic X-ray observations or by other direct detection experiments. Particularly the latter could provide a simple, definitive test of this dark matter candidate, which would bring concordance to these experiments.     

暗物质的理论研究进展

文章简要综述了以下内容:(1)晴物质存在的证据,以及它为什么很可能与目前粒子物理研究紧密相关;(2)晴物质的性质,并以超对称模型和额外维模型为例,讨论了包含暗物质粒子的模型;(3)最近Pamela/Atic/Fermi实验观测对于暗物质性质的新认识;(4)讨论和展望.     

Heterotic string dark matter from the graviton multiplet

In the string theory framework for physics beyond the standard model the hidden sector of E₈×E₈ heterotic string theory and the graviton multiplet provide compelling sources for the dark matter in the universe.

In the present investigation I consider the graviton multiplet as one particular dark matter source in heterotic string theory. In particular, it is pointed out that an appreciable fraction of dark matter from the graviton multiplet requires a mass generating phase transition around T_c10⁸ GeV, where the symmetry partners of the graviton would evolve from an ultrahard fluid to pressureless dark matter. This indicates m10 MeV for the massive components of the graviton multiplet, and it is reassuring that the corresponding dilaton lifetime τ10¹⁷ s is compatible with a dark matter interpretation.     

GIMPs from extra dimensions

We study a scalar field theory in a flat five-dimensional setup, where a scalar field lives in a bulk with a Dirichlet boundary condition, and give an implementation of this setup to the Froggatt–Nielsen (FN) mechanism. It is shown that all couplings of physical field of the scalar with the all brane localized standard model particles are vanishing while realizing the usual FN mechanism. This setup gives the scalar a role as an only Gravitationally Interacting Massive Particle (GIMP), which is a candidate for dark matter.     

Dark matter annihilation in the Galactic Center as seen by the Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope

We analyze the first two years of data from the Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope from the direction of the inner 10° around the Galactic Center with the intention of constraining, or finding evidence of, annihilating dark matter. We find that the morphology and spectrum of the emission between 1.25° and 10° from the Galactic Center is well described by the processes of decaying pions produced in cosmic ray collisions with gas, and the inverse Compton scattering of cosmic ray electrons in both the disk and bulge of the Inner Galaxy, along with gamma rays from known points sources in the region. The observed spectrum and morphology of the emission within approximately 1.25° (∼175 parsecs) of the Galactic Center, in contrast, departs from the expectations for by these processes. Instead, we find an additional component of gamma ray emission that is highly concentrated around the Galactic Center. The observed morphology of this component is consistent with that predicted from annihilating dark matter with a cusped (and possibly adiabatically contracted) halo distribution (ρ∝r−γ$\rho \propto r^{-\gamma }$, with γ=1.18$\gamma =1.18$ to 1.33). The observed spectrum of this component, which peaks at energies between 1–4 GeV (in E²$E^2$ units), can be well fit by a 7–10 GeV dark matter particle annihilating primarily to tau leptons with a cross section in the range of 〈σv〉=4.6×¹⁰⁻²⁷$〈\sigma v〉=4.6\times {10}^{-27}$ to 5.3×¹⁰⁻²⁶ cm³/s$5.3\times {10}^{-26}{\text{cm}}^3/\text{s}$, depending on how the dark matter distribution is normalized. We also discuss other sources for this emission, including the possibility that much of it originates from the Milky Way?s supermassive black hole.     

Dark matter and LHC phenomenology of a scale-invariant scotogenic model

We study the phenomenology of a model that addresses the neutrino mass, dark matter, and generation of the electroweak scale in a single framework. Electroweak symmetry breaking is realized via the Coleman-Weinberg mechanism in a classically scale invariant theory, while the neutrino mass is generated radiatively through interactions with dark matter in a typically scotogenic manner. The model introduces a scalar triplet and singlet and a vectorlike fermion doublet that carry an odd parity of Z_2, and an even parity scalar singlet that helps preserve classical scale invariance. We sample over the parameter space by taking into account various experimental constraints from the dark matter relic density and direct detection, direct scalar searches, neutrino mass, and charged lepton flavor violating decays. We then examine by detailed simulations possible signatures at the LHC to find some benchmark points of the free parameters. We find that the future high-luminosity LHC will have a significant potential in detecting new physics signals in the dilepton channel.     

Asymmetric dark matter from hidden sector baryogenesis

We consider the production of asymmetric dark matter during hidden sector baryogenesis. We consider a particular supersymmetric model where the dark matter candidate has a number density approximately equal to the baryon number density, with a mass of the same scale as the b, c and τ. Both baryon asymmetry and dark matter are created at the same time in this model. We describe collider and direct detection signatures of this model.     

Number-theory dark matter

We propose that the stability of dark matter is ensured by a discrete subgroup of the U(1)_B–L gauge symmetry, Z₂(B–L)$Z_2(\mathrm{B}\text{–}\mathrm{L})$. We introduce a set of chiral fermions charged under the U(1)_B–L in addition to the right-handed neutrinos, and require the anomaly-cancellation conditions associated with the U(1)_B–L gauge symmetry. We find that the possible number of fermions and their charges are tightly constrained, and that non-trivial solutions appear when at least five additional chiral fermions are introduced. The Fermat theorem in the number theory plays an important role in this argument. Focusing on one of the solutions, we show that there is indeed a good candidate for dark matter, whose stability is guaranteed by Z₂(B–L)$Z_2(\mathrm{B}\text{–}\mathrm{L})$.     

Dark and visible matter with broken R-parity and the axion multiplet

A small breaking of R-parity reconciles thermal leptogenesis, gravitino dark matter and primordial nucleosynthesis. We find that the same breaking relaxes cosmological bounds on the axion multiplet. Naturally expected spectra become allowed and bounds from late particle decays become so weak that they are superseded by bounds from non-thermal axion production. In this sense, the strong CP problem serves as an additional motivation for broken R-parity.     

暗物质理论研究进展

评述了天体物理中暗物质的发现以及标准模型所面临的问题,综述了解决这些问题及标准模型之外可能出现的新物理与暗物质的联系。介绍了暗物质粒子选择条件和可能的暗物质粒子的候选者;对圆柱形暗物质表面密度与星系和星系团暗物质晕的晕核半径的关系进行了讨论,与其他模型进行了比较,得出暗物质晕的特征半径r_*的暗物质表面密度分布不是一个普适量;并叙述了近几年暗物质研究中提出的新理论模型-Hidden dark matter,最后叙述了中国暗物质实验探测研究的进展,2016年底DAMPE的第一批数据有可能给出;中国锦屏地下实验室（CJPL）的CDEX和PandaX合作组的第一期实验没有发现暗物质粒子存在的信号,期待他们下期的实验。A review of the evidence of the dark matter found in universe and the problems faced by the standard model. To address these issues as well as the possible relationship between the new physics beyond the standard model and dark matter, and given the selection condition of dark matter and possible candidates of the weakly-interacting massive particles (WIMPs). The correlation between the column surface density and the halo core radius of the dark matter halos of galaxies and cluster of galaxies is discussed, and the other models are compared. We find that the surface density within the halo characteristic radius r* is not an universal quantity; The new model (hidden dark matter)proposed in the study of dark matter is described. At last, the research progress of dark matter experiment in China is commented. At the end of 2016, the first batch of DAMPE data may be given;No significant excess events of WIMPS were found in the first stage of both the CDEX and PandaX experiments located in the China Jinping Underground Laboratory(CJPL). Look forward to their the next stage of these experiments in CJPL.     

Dark energy interacting with dark matter and a third fluid: Possible EoS for this component

A cosmological model of dark energy interacting with dark matter and another general component of the universe is considered. The equations for the coincidence parameters r and s, which represent the ratios between dark energy and dark matter and the other cosmic fluid respectively, are analyzed in terms of the stability of stationary solutions. The obtained general results allow to shed some light on the equations of state of the three interacting fluids, due to the constraints imposed by the stability of the solutions. We found that for an interaction proportional to the sum of the dark energy density and the third fluid density, the hypothetical fluid must have positive pressure, which leads naturally to a cosmological scenario with radiation, unparticle or even some form of warm dark matter as the third interacting fluid.     

Particle dark matter — A theorist’s perspective

Dark matter (DM) is presumably made of some new, exotic particles that appear in extensions of the standard model. After giving a brief overview of some popular candidates, I discuss in more detail the most appealing case of the supersymmetric neutralino.     

Neutrino mass models and dark matter

We discuss a possibility to relate neutrino mass to dark matter. If we suppose that neutrino masses are generated through a radiative seesaw mechanism, dark matter may be identified with a stable field which is relevant to the neutrino mass generation. The model is severely constrained by lepton flavor violating processes. We show some solutions to this constraint.     

Pseudo-Majoron as dark matter

We consider the singlet Majoron model with softly broken lepton number. This model contains three right-handed neutrinos and a singlet scalar besides the standard model fields. The real part of the singlet scalar develops a vacuum expectation value to generate the lepton number violation for seesaw and leptogenesis. The imaginary part of the singlet scalar becomes a massive pseudo-Majoron to be a dark matter candidate with testability by colliders, direct detection experiments and neutrino observations.     

Solitonic axion condensates modeling dark matter halos

Instead of fluid type dark matter (DM), axion-like scalar fields with a periodic self-interaction or some truncations of it are analyzed as a model of galaxy halos. It is probed if such cold Bose–Einstein type condensates could provide a viable soliton type interpretation of the DM ‘bullets’ observed by means of gravitational lensing in merging galaxy clusters. We study solitary waves for two self-interacting potentials in the relativistic Klein–Gordon equation, mainly in lower dimensions, and visualize the approximately shape-invariant collisions of two ‘lump’ type solitons.     

Particle dark matter physics: An update

This write-up gives a rather elementary introduction into particle physics aspects of the cosmological dark matter puzzle. A fairly comprehensive list of possible candidates is given; in each case the production mechanism and possible ways to detect them (if any) are described. I then describe detection of the, in my view, most promising candidates, weakly interacting massive particles or WIMPs, in slightly more detail. The main emphasis will be on recent developments.     

PAMELA,FGST and sub-TeV dark matter

PAMELA's observation that the cosmic ray positron fraction increases rapidly with energy implies the presence of primary sources of energetic electron–positron pairs. Of particular interest is the possibility that dark matter annihilations in the halo of the Milky Way provide this anomalous flux of antimatter. The recent measurement of the cosmic ray electron spectrum by the Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope, however, can be used to constrain the nature of any such dark matter particle. In particular, it has been argued that in order to accommodate the observations of Fermi and provide the PAMELA positron excess, annihilating dark matter particles must be as massive as ∼1 TeV or heavier. In this Letter, we revisit Fermi's electron spectrum measurement within the context of annihilating dark matter, focusing on masses in the range of 100–1000 GeV, and considering effects such as variations in the astrophysical backgrounds from the presence of local cosmic ray accelerators, and the finite energy resolution of the Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope. When these factors are taken into account, we find that dark matter particles as light as ∼300 GeV can be capable of generating the positron fraction observed by PAMELA.     

Neutrino masses, dark matter and the mysterious early quasars

The lightest right-handed or sterile neutrino, that is embedded in a renormalizable seesaw-like extension of the standard model, with a mass and a tiny mixing θ∼10^−6.5 to one of the left-handed active neutrinos, is an attractive quasi-stable dark matter particle candidate. This sterile neutrino is produced in the early universe with the dark matter abundance required by WMAP. It is quasi-stable, decaying in about 10¹⁹ years into two neutrinos and an antineutrino, and it may be observed directly through its subdominant radiative decay into an active neutrino and a photon in about 10²¹ years. In contrast to the galaxies, that are known to form hierarchically, the supermassive black holes are formed anti-hierarchically, i.e. the most massive quasars first, and the least massive active galactic nuclei last. Here we argue that the anti-hierarchical formation of the supermassive black holes may be due to the possibility that both, the quasars and active galactic nuclei, may originate from supermassive degenerate neutrino balls that are swallowed up by stellar-mass black holes, produced by supernova explosions of massive stars at the centers of the neutrino balls.