Exploring the Co-SIMP dark matter model using the 21-cm signal from the dark ages

Abstract

The redshifted 21-cm signal from the dark ages offers a powerful probe of cosmological models and the underlying dark matter (DM) microphysics. We investigate deviations from the standard $\Lambda$CDM prediction, an absorption trough of approximately $-40.6\,\mathrm{mK}$ at redshift $z\simeq85.6$, in the context of co-SIMP (strongly interacting massive particle) DM. The co-SIMP interaction strength is encoded by the parameter $C_{\rm int}$, incorporating the masses of DM and standard model (SM) particles, the interaction cross-section, and the amount of heat exchange between the two sectors. Increasing $C_{\rm int}$ deepens the absorption feature and shifts the trough to higher redshifts in the global signal. For $C_{\rm int}=1.0$, the minimum brightness temperature reaches $-50.6,\mathrm{mK}$ at $z\simeq86.2$. The 21-cm power spectrum increases with $C_{\rm int}$ in addition to the global signal. We assess the detectability of these signatures using signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and Fisher forecasts. The maximum SNR reaches $\sim 15.7$ for $C_{\rm int}=1.0$ for the global signal. Fisher forecasts for $1,000$ hours of integration time show that this model can be distinguished from a null-signal at $4.3\sigma$ and a mild 1.6$\sigma$ from $\Lambda$CDM, improving by an order of magnitude for 100,000 hours. For the 21-cm power spectrum, a $5,\mathrm{km}^2$ array with 1,000 hours yields a $4.63\sigma$ detection and mildly separated from the standard scenario at $1.78\sigma$. These findings highlight the potential of the 21-cm cosmology to probe the properties of DM and demonstrate that upcoming dark ages experiments, particularly space-based and lunar observations, can offer a promising avenue to test co-SIMP models.