The light U boson as the mediator of a new force, coupled to a combination of Q, B, L and dark matter

Abstract

A new light gauge boson $U$ may have both vector and axial couplings. In a large class of theories however, the new $U(1)$ current $J^μ_F$ naturally combines with the weak neutral current $J^μ_{Z_{\rm sm}}$, both parity-violating, into a vectorial current $J^μ_U$, combination of the $B,\,L$ and electromagnetic currents with a possible dark matter current. $U^μ$ may be expressed equivalently as $\cosξ\,C^μ\! + \sin ξ\,Z^μ_{\rm \,sm}$ ("mixing with the $Z$") or $(1/\cosχ) \,\hat C^μ+\tanχ\,A^μ$ ("mixing with the photon"), with $\hat C$ coupled to $B,\,L$ and dark matter. The $U$ boson may be viewed as a generalized dark photon, coupled to SM particles through $Q_U=Q+λ_B B+λ_i L_i$, with strength $\,g"\cosξ\,\cos^2θ=e\tanχ$. "Kinetic mixing" terms, gauge invariant or not, simply correspond to a description in a non-orthogonal field basis (rather than to a new physical effect), with the dark photon in general also coupled to $B$ and $L$. In a grand-unified theory $\,Q_U^{\rm gut}=Q-2\,(B-L)\,$ at the GUT scale for SM particles, invariant under the $SU(4)$ electrostrong symmetry group, with a non-vanishing $ε= \tanχ$ already present at the GUT scale, leading to $Q_U\simeq \,Q-1.64\, (B-L)\,$ at low energy. This also applies, for a very light or massless $U$ boson, to a new long-range force, which could show up through apparent violations of the Equivalence Principle.