arXiv subjects

Alejandro Ibarra

Publications and source records attributed to Alejandro Ibarra.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Helical locomotion in granular media

The physical mechanisms that bring about the propulsion of a rotating helix in a granular medium are considered. A propulsive motion along the axis of the rotating helix is induced by both symmetry breaking due to the helical shape, and the anisotropic frictional forces undergone by all segments of the helix in the medium. Helix dynamics is studied as a function of helix rotation speed and its geometrical parameters. The effect of the granular pressure and the applied external load were also investigated. A theoretical model is developed based on the anisotropic frictional force experienced by a slender body moving in a granular material, to account for the translation speed of the helix. A good agreement with experimental data is obtained, which allows for predicting the helix design to propel optimally within granular media. These results pave the way for the development of an efficient sand-robot operating according to this mode of locomotion.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2017

Dark matter decay through gravity portals

Motivated by the fact that, so far, the whole body of evidence for dark matter is of gravitational origin, we study the decays of dark matter into Standard Model particles mediated by gravity portals, i.e., through nonminimal gravitational interactions of dark matter. We investigate the decays in several widely studied frameworks of scalar and fermionic dark matter where the dark matter is stabilized in flat spacetime via global symmetries. We find that the constraints on the scalar singlet dark matter candidate are remarkably strong and exclude large regions of the parameter space, suggesting that an additional stabilizing symmetry should be in place. In contrast, the scalar doublet and the fermionic singlet candidates are naturally protected against too fast decays by gauge and Lorentz symmetry, respectively. For a nonminimal coupling parameter $ξ\sim {\cal{O}}(1)$, decays through the gravity portal are consistent with observations if the dark matter mass is smaller than $\sim 10^5$ GeV, for the scalar doublet, and $\sim 10^6$ GeV, for the fermionic singlet.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Probing the scotogenic FIMP at the LHC

We analyse the signatures at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) of the scotogenic model, when the lightest Z2-odd particle is a singlet fermion and a feebly interacting massive particle (FIMP). We further assume that the singlet fermion constitutes the dark matter and that it is produced in the early Universe via the freeze-in mechanism. The small couplings required to reproduce the observed dark matter abundance translate into decay-lengths for the next-to-lightest Z2-odd particle which can be macroscopic, potentially leading to spectacular signatures at the LHC. We characterize the possible signals of the model according to the spectrum of the Z2-odd particles and we derive, for each of the cases, bounds on the parameters of the model from current searches.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Antideuterons in cosmic rays: sources and discovery potential

Antibaryons are produced in our Galaxy in collisions of high energy cosmic rays with the interstellar medium and in old supernova remnants, and possibly, in exotic sources such as primordial black hole evaporation or dark matter annihilations and decays. The search for signals from exotic sources in antiproton data is hampered by large backgrounds from spallation which, within theoretical errors, can solely account for the current data. Due to the higher energy threshold for antideuteron production, which translates into a suppression of the low energy flux from spallations, antideuteron searches have been proposed as a probe for exotic sources. We perform in this paper a comprehensive analysis of the antideuteron fluxes at the Earth expected from known and hypothetical sources in our Galaxy, and we calculate their maximal values consistent with current antiproton data from AMS-02. We find that supernova remnants generate a negligible flux, whereas primordial black hole evaporation and dark matter annihilations or decays may dominate the total flux at low energies. On the other hand, we find that the detection of cosmic antideuterons would require, for the scenarios studied in this paper and assuming optimistic values of the coalescence momentum and solar modulation, an increase of the experimental sensitivity compared to ongoing and planned instruments by at least a factor of 2. Finally, we briefly comment on the prospects for antihelium-3 detection.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

Gamma-ray triangles: a possible signature of asymmetric dark matter in indirect searches

We introduce a new type of gamma-ray spectral feature, which we denominate gamma-ray triangle. This spectral feature arises in scenarios where dark matter self-annihilates via a chiral interaction into two Dirac fermions, which subsequently decay in flight into another fermion and a photon. The resulting photon spectrum resembles a sharp triangle and can be readily searched for in the gamma-ray sky. Using data from the Fermi-LAT and H.E.S.S. instruments, we find no evidence for such spectral feature and therefore set strong upper bounds on the corresponding annihilation cross section. A concrete realization of a scenario yielding gamma-ray triangles consists of an asymmetric dark matter model where the dark matter particle carries lepton number. We show explicitly that this class of models can lead to intense gamma-ray spectral features, potentially at the reach of upcoming gamma-ray telescopes, opening a new window to explore asymmetric dark matter through indirect searches.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

On the sensitivity of CTA to gamma-ray boxes from multi-TeV dark matter

Collider, direct and indirect searches for dark matter have typically little or no sensitivity to weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with masses above a few TeV. This rather unexplored regime can however be probed through the search for distinctive gamma-ray spectral features produced by the annihilation of WIMPs at very high energies. Here we present a dedicated search for gamma-ray boxes -- sharp spectral features that cannot be mimicked by astrophysical sources -- with the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). Using realistic projections for the instrument performance and detailed background modelling, a profile likelihood analysis is implemented to derive the expected upper limits and sensitivity reach after 100 h of observations towards a $2^\circ\times2^\circ$ region around the Galactic centre. Our results show that CTA will be able to probe gamma-ray boxes down to annihilation cross sections of $10^{-27}-10^{-26}\,\text{cm}^3\text{/s}$ up to tens of TeV. We also identify a number of concrete particle physics models providing thermal dark matter candidates that can be used as target benchmarks in future search campaigns. This constitutes a golden opportunity for CTA to either discover or rule out multi-TeV thermal dark matter in a corner of parameter space where all other experimental efforts are basically insensitive.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

DAMA confronts null searches in the effective theory of dark matter-nucleon interactions

We examine the dark matter interpretation of the modulation signal reported by the DAMA experiment from the perspective of effective field theories displaying Galilean invariance. We consider the most general effective coupling leading to the elastic scattering of a dark matter particle with spin 0 or 1/2 off a nucleon, and we analyze the compatibility of the DAMA signal with the null results from other direct detection experiments, as well as with the non-observation of a high energy neutrino flux in the direction of the Sun from dark matter annihilation. To this end, we develop a novel semi-analytical approach for comparing experimental results in the high-dimensional parameter space of the non-relativistic effective theory. Assuming the standard halo model, we find a strong tension between the dark matter interpretation of the DAMA modulation signal and the null result experiments. We also list possible ways-out of this conclusion.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Gamma-ray boxes from axion-mediated dark matter

We compute the gamma-ray output of axion-mediated dark matter and derive the corresponding constraints set by recent data. In such scenarios the dark matter candidate is a Dirac fermion that pair-annihilates into axions and/or scalars. Provided that the axion decays (at least partly) into photons, these models naturally give rise to a box-shaped gamma-ray spectrum that may present two distinct phenomenological behaviours: a narrow box, resembling a line at half the dark matter mass, or a wide box, spanning an extensive energy range up to the dark matter mass. Remarkably, we find that in both cases a sizable gamma-ray flux is predicted for a thermal relic without fine-tuning the model parameters nor invoking boost factors. This large output is in line with recent Fermi-LAT observations towards the Galactic centre region and is on the verge of being excluded. We then make use of the Fermi-LAT and H.E.S.S. data to derive robust, model-independent upper limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section for the narrow and wide box scenarios. H.E.S.S. constraints, in particular, turn out to match the ones from Fermi-LAT at hundreds of GeV and extend to multi-TeV masses. Future Cherenkov telescopes will likely probe gamma-ray boxes from thermal dark matter relics in the whole multi-TeV range, a region hardly accessible to direct detection, collider searches and other indirect detection strategies.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Dark matter decays from non-minimal coupling to gravity

We consider the Standard Model extended with a dark matter particle in curved spacetime, motivated by the fact that the only current evidence for dark matter is through its gravitational interactions, and we investigate the impact on the dark matter stability of terms in the Lagrangian linear in the dark matter field and proportional to the Ricci scalar. We show that this "gravity portal" induces decay even if the dark matter particle only has gravitational interactions, and that the decay branching ratios into Standard Model particles only depend on one free parameter: the dark matter mass. We study in detail the case of a singlet scalar as dark matter candidate, which is assumed to be absolutely stable in flat spacetime due to a discrete $Z_2$ symmetry, but which may decay in curved spacetimes due to a $Z_2$-breaking non-minimal coupling to gravity. We calculate the dark matter decay widths and we set conservative limits on the non-minimal coupling parameter from experiments. The limits are very stringent and suggest that there must exist an additional mechanism protecting the singlet scalar from decaying via this gravity portal.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Signatures from Scalar Dark Matter with a Vector-like Quark Mediator

We present a comprehensive study of a model where the dark matter is composed of a singlet real scalar that couples to the Standard Model predominantly via a Yukawa interaction with a light quark and a colored vector-like fermion. A distinctive feature of this scenario is that thermal freeze-out in the early universe may be driven by annihilation both into gluon pairs at one-loop ($gg$) and by virtual internal Bremsstrahlung of a gluon ($q \bar{q} g$). Such a dark matter candidate may also be tested through direct and indirect detection and at the LHC; viable candidates have either a mass nearly degenerate with that of the fermionic mediator or a mass above about 2 TeV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Heavy Neutrinos at Future Colliders

We discuss the current status and future prospects of heavy neutrino searches at the energy frontier, which might play an important role in vindicating the simplest seesaw paradigm as the new physics responsible for neutrino mass generation. After summarizing the current search limits and potential improvements at hadron colliders, we highlight the unparalleled sensitivities achievable in the clean environment of future lepton colliders.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Direct detection of fermion dark matter in the radiative seesaw model

We consider the scenario in the radiative seesaw model where the dark matter particle is the lightest $Z_2$-odd fermion. We identify the regions of the parameter space of the model compatible with neutrino oscillation data, with the upper limits from rare charged lepton decays and with the observed dark matter abundance via thermal freeze-out, and we compute the dark matter scattering cross section with nuclei via the one-loop exchange of a photon, a $Z^0$-boson or a Higgs boson. We find that the predicted spin-independent cross section lies below the current LUX limit, although, for some choices of parameters, above the expected sensitivity of XENON1T or LZ.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Gamma-rays from Heavy Minimal Dark Matter

We consider the annihilation into gamma rays of Minimal Dark Matter candidates in the fermionic 5-plet and scalar 7-plet representations of $SU(2)_L$, taking into account both the Sommerfeld effect and the internal bremsstrahlung. Assuming the Einasto profile, we show that present measurements of the Galactic Center by the H.E.S.S. instrument exclude the 5-plet and 7-plet as the dominant form of dark matter for masses between 1 TeV and 20 TeV, in particular, the 5-plet mass leading to the observed dark matter density via thermal freeze-out. We also discuss prospects for the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array, which will be able to probe even heavier dark matter masses, including the scenario where the scalar 7-plet is thermally produced.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

A novel approach to derive halo-independent limits on dark matter properties

We propose a method that allows to place an upper limit on the dark matter elastic scattering cross section with nucleons which is independent of the velocity distribution. Our approach combines null results from direct detection experiments with indirect searches at neutrino telescopes, and goes beyond previous attempts to remove astrophysical uncertainties in that it directly constrains the particle physics properties of the dark matter. The resulting halo-independent upper limits on the scattering cross section of dark matter are remarkably strong and reach $σ_{\text{SI}}^{p} \lesssim 10^{-43} \, (10^{-42})~\text{cm}^2$ and $σ_{\text{SD}}^{p} \lesssim 10^{-37} \, (3\times 10^{-37 })~\text{cm}^2$, for dark matter particles of $m_{\text{DM}}\sim 1~\text{TeV}$ annihilating into $W^+W^-$ ($b\bar b$), assuming $ρ_\text{loc}=0.3\text{ GeV}/\text{cm}^3$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Prospects of Heavy Neutrino Searches at Future Lepton Colliders

We discuss the future prospects of heavy neutrino searches at next generation lepton colliders. In particular, we focus on the planned electron-positron colliders, operating in two different beam modes, namely, $e^+e^-$ and $e^-e^-$. In the $e^+e^-$ beam mode, we consider various production and decay modes of the heavy neutrino ($N$), and find that the final state with $e+2j+{E\!\!\!/}_T$, arising from the $e^+e^-\to Nν$ production mode, is the most promising channel. However, since this mode is insensitive to the Majorana nature of the heavy neutrinos, we also study a new production channel $e^+e^-\to Ne^\pm W^\mp$, which leads to a same-sign dilepton plus four jet final state, thus directly probing the lepton number violation in $e^+e^-$ colliders. In the $e^-e^-$ beam mode, we study the prospects of the lepton number violating process of $e^-e^-\to W^-W^-$, mediated by a heavy Majorana neutrino. We use both cut-based and multivariate analysis techniques to make a realistic calculation of the relevant signal and background events, including detector effects for a generic linear collider detector. We find that with the cut-based analysis, the light-heavy neutrino mixing parameter $|V_{eN}|^2$ can be probed down to $\sim 10^{-4}$ at 95\% C.L. for the heavy neutrino mass up to $400$ GeV or so at $\sqrt s=500$ GeV with $100 \rm{fb}^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity. For smaller mixing values, we show that a multivariate analysis can improve the signal significance by up to an order of magnitude. These limits will be at least an order of magnitude better than the current best limits from electroweak precision data, as well as the projected limits from $\sqrt s=14$ TeV LHC.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Dirac dark matter with a charged mediator: a comprehensive one-loop analysis of the direct detection phenomenology

We analyze the direct detection signals of a toy model consisting of a Dirac dark matter particle which couples to one Standard Model fermion via a scalar mediator. For all scenarios, the dark matter particle scatters off nucleons via one loop-induced electromagnetic and electroweak moments, as well as via the one-loop exchange of a Higgs boson. Besides, and depending on the details of the model, the scattering can also be mediated at tree level via the exchange of the scalar mediator or at one loop via gluon-gluon interactions. We show that, for thermally produced dark matter particles, the current limits from the LUX experiment on these scenarios are remarkably strong, even for dark matter coupling only to leptons. We also discuss future prospects for XENON1T and DARWIN and we argue that multi-ton xenon detectors will be able to probe practically the whole parameter space of the model consistent with thermal production and perturbativity. We also discuss briefly the implications of our results for the dark matter interpretation of the Galactic GeV excess.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Future sensitivity of neutrino telescopes to dark matter annihilations from the cosmic diffuse neutrino signal

Cosmological observations and cold dark matter N-body simulations indicate that our Universe is populated by numerous halos, where dark matter particles annihilate, potentially producing Standard Model particles. In this paper we calculate the contribution to the diffuse neutrino background from dark matter annihilations in halos at all redshifts and we estimate the future sensitivity to the annihilation cross section of neutrino telescopes such as IceCube or ANTARES. We consider various parametrizations to describe the internal halo properties and for the halo mass function in order to bracket the theoretical uncertainty in the limits from the modeling of the cosmological annihilation flux. We find that observations of the cosmic diffuse neutrino flux at large angular distances from the galactic center lead to constraints on the dark matter annihilation cross section which are complementary to (and for some extrapolations of the astrophysical parameters, better than) those stemming from observations of the Milky Way halo, especially for neutrino telescopes not pointing directly to the Milky Way center, as is the case of IceCube.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

Signatures of Majorana dark matter with t-channel mediators

Three main strategies are being pursued to search for non-gravitational dark matter signals: direct detection, indirect detection and collider searches. Interestingly, experiments have reached sensitivities in these three search strategies which may allow detection in the near future. In order to take full benefit of the wealth of experimental data, and in order to confirm a possible dark matter signal, it is necessary to specify the nature of the dark matter particle and of the mediator to the Standard Model. In this paper, we focus on a simplified model where the dark matter particle is a Majorana fermion that couples to a light Standard Model fermion via a Yukawa coupling with a scalar mediator. We review the observational signatures of this model and we discuss the complementarity among the various search strategies, with emphasis in the well motivated scenario where the dark matter particles are produced in the early Universe via thermal freeze-out.

hep-ph↗