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arXiv · 0810.1502

Astrophysical Signatures of Secluded Dark Matter

Maxim Pospelov·Adam Ritz
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Abstract

We analyze the indirect astrophysical signatures of secluded models of WIMP dark matter, characterized by a weak-scale rate for annihilation into light MeV-scale mediators which are metastable to decay into Standard Model states. Such scenarios allow a significant enhancement of the annihilation cross section in the galactic halo relative to its value at freeze-out, particularly when the mediator is light enough for this process to proceed through radiative capture to a metastable `WIMP-onium' bound state. For MeV-scale vector mediators charged under a hidden U(1)' gauge group, the enhanced annihilation rate leads predominantly to a sizable excess positron flux, even in the absence of astrophysical boost factors.

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Maxim Pospelov, Adam Ritz. 2008-11-17. Astrophysical Signatures of Secluded Dark Matter. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2008.12.012

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