119255782
Bremsstrahlung and gamma ray lines in 3 scenarios of dark matter annihilation
Gamma ray spectral features are of interest for indirect searches of dark matter (DM). Following Barger et al. we consider 3 simple scenarios of DM that annihilates into Standard Model (SM) fermion pairs. Scenario 1 is a Majorana DM candidate coupled to a charged scalar, scenario 2 is a Majorana DM coupled to a charged gauge boson and scenario 3 is a real scalar DM coupled a charged vector-like fermion. As shown by Barger et al., these 3 scenarios share precisely the same internal Bremsstrahlung spectral signature into gamma rays. Their phenomenology is however distinct. In particular for annihilation into light SM fermions, in the chiral limit, the 2-body annihilation cross section is p-wave suppressed for the Majorana candidates while it is d-wave suppressed for the real scalar. In the present work we study the annihilation into 2 gammas, showing that these three scenarios have distinct, and so potentially distinguishable, spectral signatures into gamma rays. In the case of the real scalar candidate we provide a new calculation of the amplitude for annihilation into 2 gammas.
119198386
Scalar dark matter models with significant internal bremsstrahlung
There has been interest recently on particle physics models that may give rise to sharp gamma ray spectral features from dark matter annihilation. Because dark matter is supposed to be electrically neutral, it is challenging to build weakly interacting massive particle models that may accommodate both a large cross section into gamma rays at, say, the Galactic center, and the right dark matter abundance. In this work, we consider the gamma ray signatures of a class of scalar dark matter models that interact with Standard Model dominantly through heavy vector-like fermions (the vector-like portal). We focus on a real scalar singlet S annihilating into lepton-antilepton pairs. Because this two-body final-state annihilation channel is d-wave suppressed in the chiral limit, σfv∝v4, we show that virtual internal bremsstrahlung emission of a gamma ray gives a large correction, both today and at the time of freeze-out. For the sake of comparison, we confront this scenario to the familiar case of a Majorana singlet annihilating into light lepton-antilepton pairs, and show that the virtual internal bremsstrahlung signal may be enhanced by a factor of (up to) two orders of magnitude. We discuss the scope and possible generalizations of the model.
119253725
Is the Lorentz limiting speed equal to the speed of light? Photons vs neutrino tests
We discuss the possibility that the “limiting speed” climit (cl) appearing in Lorentz equations might be different (i.e. slightly larger) than the observed speed of light cn. We show that such a possibility can be tested by state-of-the-art Michelson–Morley experiments, but also by careful measurement of neutrino speeds. It would indeed suffice to show that cn<cν≤cl. Quite interestingly, current limits from both approaches are competitive, in some circumstances. We also comment on competing tests using gamma-ray burst, assuming a dispersive character for the propagation of light.
119212974
The inert doublet model: a new archetype of WIMP dark matter?
The Inert Doublet Model (IDM) is a two doublet extension of the Higgs-Brout-Englert sector of the Standard Model with a Z2 symmetry in order to prevent FCNC. If the Z2 symmetry is not spontaneously broken, the lightest neutral extra scalar is a dark matter candidate. We briefly review the phenomenology of the model, emphasizing its relevance for the issue of Electroweak Symmetry Breaking (EWSB) and the prospects for detection of dark matter.
119148641
Electroweak symmetry breaking induced by dark matter
Abstract The mechanism behind electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB) and the nature of dark matter (DM) are currently among the most important issues in high energy physics. Since a natural dark matter candidate is a weakly interacting massive particle or WIMP, with mass around the electroweak scale, it is clearly of interest to investigate the possibility that DM and EWSB are closely related. In the context of a very simple extension of the Standard Model, the inert doublet model, we show that dark matter could play a crucial role in the breaking of the electroweak symmetry. In this model, dark matter is the lightest component of an inert scalar doublet. The coupling of the latter with the Standard Model Higgs doublet breaks the electroweak symmetry at one-loop, a la Coleman–Weinberg . The abundance of dark matter, the breaking of the electroweak symmetry and the constraints from electroweak precision measurements can all be accommodated by imposing (an exact or approximate) custodial symmetry.
1471430
Neutrinos from Inert Doublet dark matter
We investigate the signatures of neutrinos produced in the annihilation of WIMP dark matter in the Earth, the Sun and at the Galactic centre within the framework of the Inert Doublet Model and extensions. We consider a dark matter candidate, that we take to be one of the neutral components of an extra Higgs doublet, in three distinct mass ranges, which have all been shown previously to be consistent with both WMAP abundance and direct detection experiments exclusion limits. Specifically, we consider a light WIMP with mass between 4 and 8 GeV (low), a WIMP with mass around 60-70 GeV (middle) and a heavy WIMP with mass above 500 GeV (high). In the first case, we show that capture in the Sun may be constrained using Super-Kamiokande data. In the last two cases, we argue that indirect detection through neutrinos is challenging but not altogether excluded. For middle masses, we try to make the most benefit of the proximity of the so-called 'iron resonance' that might enhance the capture of the dark matter candidate by the Earth. The signal from the Earth is further enhanced if light right-handed Majorana neutrinos are introduced, in which case the scalar dark matter candidate may annihilate into pairs of mono-energetic neutrinos. In the case of high masses, detection of neutrinos from the Galactic centre might be possible, provided the dark matter abundance is substantially boosted.
125736234
Recent HERMES Results on Inclusive Scattering and Exclusive Reactions
13891794
Vector meson production at HERMES.
Diiractive production of , , ! and J== mesons is observed at the Hermes experiment at DESY. Hermes scatters the 27.5 GeV longitudinally polarised positrons of the HERA storage ring oo an internal gas storage cell target. Polarised and unpolarised gas targets of diierent types are used. The exclusive production from diierent nuclear targets (H, D, 3 He and 14 N) shows coherent and incoherent contributions that depend on the atomic mass A and Q 2. For 3 He the incoherent contribution is smaller than for H and D. The nuclear transparency T has been extracted as a function of Q 2 and and shows no signiicant signal of color transparency eeects. The polari-sation of beam and target at Hermes will allow for the world's rst measurement of double-spin asymmetries in combination with decay angle information. This will allow a nearly complete characterization of the angular momentum structure of the reaction. First results for the longitudinal and linear polarisation of-mesons and for the ratio of the longitudinal versus transverse cross section of-mesons as a function of Q 2 are presented. J== mesons are observed at Hermes in the muonic and the electronic decay channel. As they are produced by photon-gluon fusion processes, the observed spin asymmetry from polarised target data contains information about the gluon spin distribution in the nucleon. As the available statistics is marginal for a determination of G, Hermes currently performs an upgrade of the spectrometer. A ring image Cerenkov detector, a muon detector and a small angle spectrometer will be installed in 1998 and an additional vertex detector in 1999. The upgrade will improve the identiication of charmed and strange mesons, the detection of heavy decaying and slow recoil particles and the detection of the scattered positron in low-Q 2 (photoproduction) events.
202094757
Diffractive production of Rho0 and omega vector mesons at HERMES
125760852
Diffractive vector meson production at intermediate energies.
15360804
SUSY Searches in All-Hadronic States with Large MET at the LHC
The CMS and ATLAS search strategy for SUSY in inclusive multijet plus high missing transverse energy final states is reviewed. This canonical SUSY signature may be a viable discovery channel for low mass SUSY in the early phase of the LHC. Methods for Standard Model background estimates, MET studies and filters for instrumental background are presented.