arXiv subjects

Bryan Zaldivar

Publications and source records attributed to Bryan Zaldivar.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

On Minimal Dark Matter coupled to the Higgs

We provide a unified presentation of extensions of the Minimal Dark Matter framework in which new fermionic electroweak multiplets are coupled to each other via the Standard Model Higgs doublet. We study systematically the generic features of all the possibilities, starting with a singlet and two doublets (akin to Bino-Higgsino dark matter) up to a Majorana quintuplet coupled to two Weyl quadruplets. We pay special attention to this last case, since it has not yet been discussed in the literature. We estimate the parameter space for viable dark matter candidates. This includes an estimate for the mass of a quasi-pure quadruplet dark matter candidate taking into account the Sommerfeld effect. We also argue how the coupling to the Higgs can bring the Minimal Dark Matter scenario within the reach of present and future direct detection experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Cornering pseudoscalar-mediated dark matter with the LHC and cosmology

Models in which dark matter particles communicate with the visible sector through a pseudoscalar mediator are well-motivated both from a theoretical and from a phenomenological standpoint. With direct detection bounds being typically subleading in such scenarios, the main constraints stem either from collider searches for dark matter, or from indirect detection experiments. However, LHC searches for the mediator particles themselves can not only compete with -- or even supersede -- the reach of direct collider dark matter probes, but they can also test scenarios in which traditional monojet searches become irrelevant, especially when the mediator cannot decay on-shell into dark matter particles or its decay is suppressed. In this work we perform a detailed analysis of a pseudoscalar-mediated dark matter simplified model, taking into account a large set of collider constraints and concentrating on the parameter space regions favoured by cosmological and astrophysical data. We find that mediator masses above 100-200~GeV are essentially excluded by LHC searches in the case of large couplings to the top quark, while forthcoming collider and astrophysical measurements will further constrain the available parameter space.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Recommendations of the LHC Dark Matter Working Group: Comparing LHC searches for heavy mediators of dark matter production in visible and invisible decay channels

Weakly-coupled TeV-scale particles may mediate the interactions between normal matter and dark matter. If so, the LHC would produce dark matter through these mediators, leading to the familiar "mono-X" search signatures, but the mediators would also produce signals without missing momentum via the same vertices involved in their production. This document from the LHC Dark Matter Working Group suggests how to compare searches for these two types of signals in case of vector and axial-vector mediators, based on a workshop that took place on September 19/20, 2016 and subsequent discussions. These suggestions include how to extend the spin-1 mediated simplified models already in widespread use to include lepton couplings. This document also provides analytic calculations of the relic density in the simplified models and reports an issue that arose when ATLAS and CMS first began to use preliminary numerical calculations of the dark matter relic density in these models.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

Global constraints on vector-like WIMP effective interactions

In this work we combine information from relic abundance, direct detection, cosmic microwave background, positron fraction, gamma rays, and colliders to explore the existing constraints on couplings between Dark Matter and Standard Model constituents when no underlying model or correlation is assumed. For definiteness, we include independent vector-like effective interactions for each Standard Model fermion. Our results show that low Dark Matter masses below 20 GeV are disfavoured at the $3 σ$ level with respect to higher masses, due to the tension between the relic abundance requirement and upper constraints on the Dark Matter couplings. Furthermore, large couplings are typically only allowed in combinations which avoid effective couplings to the nuclei used in direct detection experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Simplified Models for Dark Matter Searches at the LHC

This document outlines a set of simplified models for dark matter and its interactions with Standard Model particles. It is intended to summarize the main characteristics that these simplified models have when applied to dark matter searches at the LHC, and to provide a number of useful expressions for reference. The list of models includes both s-channel and t-channel scenarios. For s-channel, spin-0 and spin-1 mediation is discussed, and also realizations where the Higgs particle provides a portal between the dark and visible sectors. The guiding principles underpinning the proposed simplified models are spelled out, and some suggestions for implementation are presented.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Production Regimes for Self-Interacting Dark Matter

In the context of Self-Interacting Dark Matter as a solution for the small-scale structure problems, we consider the possibility that Dark Matter could have been produced without being in thermal equilibrium with the Standard Model bath. We discuss one by one the following various dark matter production regimes of this kind: freeze-in, reannihilation and dark freeze-out. We exemplify how these mechanisms work in the context of the particularly simple Hidden Vector Dark Matter model. In contrast to scenarios where there is thermal equilibrium with the Standard Model bath, we find two regimes which can easily satisfy all the laboratory and cosmological constraints. These are dark freeze-out with 3-to-2 annihilations and freeze-in via a light mediator. In the first regime, different temperatures in the visible and the Dark Matter sectors allow us to avoid the constraints coming from cosmic structure formation as well as the use of non-perturbative couplings to reproduce the observed relic density. For the second regime, different couplings are responsible for Dark Matter relic density and self-interactions, permitting to surpass BBN, X-ray, CMB and direct detection constraints.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

What is a Natural SUSY scenario?

The idea of "Natural SUSY", understood as a supersymmetric scenario where the fine-tuning is as mild as possible, is a reasonable guide to explore supersymmetric phenomenology. In this paper, we re-examine this issue in the context of the MSSM including several improvements, such as the mixing of the fine-tuning conditions for different soft terms and the presence of potential extra fine-tunings that must be combined with the electroweak one. We give tables and plots that allow to easily evaluate the fine-tuning and the corresponding naturalness bounds for any theoretical model defined at any high-energy (HE) scale. Then, we analyze in detail the complete fine-tuning bounds for the unconstrained MSSM, defined at any HE scale. We show that Natural SUSY does not demand light stops. Actually, an average stop mass below 800 GeV is disfavored, though one of the stops might be very light. Regarding phenomenology, the most stringent upper bound from naturalness is the one on the gluino mass, which typically sets the present level of fine-tuning at ${\cal O}(1\%)$. However, this result presents a strong dependence on the HE scale. E.g. if the latter is $10^7$ GeV the level of fine-tuning is $\sim$ four times less severe. Finally, the most robust result of Natural SUSY is by far that Higgsinos should be rather light, certainly below 700 GeV for a fine-tuning of ${\cal O}(1\%)$ or milder. Incidentally, this upper bound is not far from $\simeq1$ TeV, which is the value required if dark matter is made of Higgsinos.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

The Flavour Portal to Dark Matter

We present a class of models in which dark matter (DM) is a fermionic singlet under the Standard Model (SM) gauge group but is charged under a symmetry of flavour that acts as well on the SM fermions. Interactions between DM and SM particles are mediated by the scalar fields that spontaneously break the flavour symmetry, the so-called flavons. In the case of gauged flavour symmetries, the interactions are also mediated by the flavour gauge bosons. We first discuss the construction and the generic features of this class of models. Then a concrete example with an abelian flavour symmetry is considered. We compute the complementary constraints from the relic abundance, direct detection experiments and flavour observables, showing that wide portions of the parameter space are still viable. Other possibilities like non-abelian flavour symmetries can be analysed within the same framework.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

A bonus complementarity in Simplified Models of Dark Matter

Nowadays there is an active discussion about the definition of Simplified Models of Dark Matter (SMDM) as a tool for interpreting LHC searches. Here we point out an additional simplified set-up which captures a very well motivated mechanism beyond the Standard Model: the kinetic-mixing of an extra U'(1) gauge symmetry. In addition to that, even if most of the attention has being paid on LHC "mono-signals", here we highlight an unavoidable signature appearing in SMDM with s-channel mediators: dijets or dileptons with no missing energy. We translate these searches into lower bounds on the DM couplings to the visible sector, showing the nice complementarity with the previous analyses, such that the parameter space of DM is being reduced from above and from below.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Simplified SIMPs and the LHC

The existence of Dark Matter (DM) in the form of Strongly Interacting Massive Particles (SIMPs) may be motivated by astrophysical observations that challenge the classical Cold DM scenario. Other observations greatly constrain, but do not completely exclude, the SIMP alternative. The signature of SIMPs at the LHC may consist of neutral, hadron-like, trackless jets produced in pairs. We show that the absence of charged content can provide a very efficient tool to suppress dijet backgrounds at the LHC, thus enhancing the sensitivity to a potential SIMP signal. We illustrate this using a simplified SIMP model and present a detailed feasibility study based on simulations, including a dedicated detector response parametrization. We evaluate the expected sensitivity to various signal scenarios and tentatively consider the exclusion limits on the SIMP elastic cross section with nucleons.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Invisible Z' and dark matter: LHC vs LUX constraints

We consider a simple, yet generic scenario in which a new heavy $Z'$ gauge boson couples both to SM fermions and to dark matter. In this framework we confront the best LHC limits on an extra gauge boson $Z'$ to the constraints on couplings to dark matter from direct detection experiments. In particular we show that the LHC searches for resonant production of dileptons and the recent exclusion limits obtained by the LUX collaboration give complementary constraints. Together, they impose strong bounds on the invisible branching ratio and exclude a large part of the parameter space for generic $Z'$ models. Our study encompasses many possible $Z'$ models, including SSM, $E_6$-inspired or B-L scenario.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Thermal and non-thermal production of dark matter via Z'-portal(s)

We study the genesis of dark matter in the primordial Universe for representative classes of Z'-portals models. For weak-scale Z' mediators we compute the range of values of the kinetic mixing allowed by WMAP/PLANCK experiments corresponding to a FIMP regime. We show that very small values of the kinetic coupling (1.e-12 < delta < 1.e-11) are sufficient to produce the right amount of dark matter. We also analyse the case of very massive gauge mediators, whose mass is larger than the reheating temperature, "T_RH", with a weak-scale coupling to ordinary matter. Relic abundance constraints then impose a direct correlation between T_RH and the effective scale "Lambda" of the interactions: Lambda ~ 1.e3--1.e5 * T_RH. Finally we describe in some detail the process of dark thermalisation and study its consequences on the computation of the relic abundance.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Freeze-in through portals

The popular freeze-out paradigm for Dark Matter (DM) production, relies on DM-baryon couplings of the order of the weak interactions. However, different search strategies for DM have failed to provide a conclusive evidence of such (non-gravitational) interactions, while greatly reducing the parameter space of many representative models. This motivates the study of alternative mechanisms for DM genesis. In the freeze-in framework, the DM is slowly populated from the thermal bath while never reaching equilibrium. In this work, we analyse in detail the possibility of producing a frozen-in DM via a mediator particle which acts as a portal. We give analytical estimates of different freeze-in regimes and support them with full numerical analyses, taking into account the proper distribution functions of bath particles. Finally, we constrain the parameter space of generic models by requiring agreement with DM relic abundance observations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Extra U(1), effective operators, anomalies and dark matter

A general analysis is performed on the dimension-six operators mixing an almost hidden Z' to the Standard Model (SM), when the Z' communicates with the SM via heavy mediators. These are fermions charged under both Z' and the SM, while all SM fermions are neutral under Z'. We classify the operators as a function of the gauge anomalies behaviour of mediators and explicitly compute the dimension-six operators coupling Z' to gluons, generated at one-loop by chiral but anomaly-free, sets of fermion mediators. We prove that only one operator contribute to the couplings between Z' charged matter and on-shell gluons. We then make a complete phenomenological analysis of the scenario where the lightest fermion charged under Z' is the dark matter candidate. Combining results from WMAP/PLANCK data, mono-jet searches at LHC, and direct/indirect dark matter detections restrict considerably the allowed parameter space.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

New techniques for chargino-neutralino detection at LHC

The recent LHC discovery of a Higgs-like boson at 126 GeV has important consequences for SUSY, pushing the spectrum of strong-interacting supersymmetric particles to high energies, very difficult to probe at the LHC. This gives extra motivation to study the direct production of electroweak particles, as charginos and neutralinos, which are presently very poorly constrained. The aim of this work is to improve the analysis of chargino-neutralino pair production at LHC, focusing on the kinematics of the processes. We propose a new method based on the study of the poles of a certain kinematical variable. This complements other approaches, giving new information about the spectrum and improving the signal-to-background ratio. We illustrate the method in particular SUSY models, and show that working with the LHC at 100/fb luminosity one would be able to distinguish the SUSY signal from the Standard Model background.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Implications of light charginos for Higgs observables, LHC searches and dark matter

A rather high Higgs mass, m_h = 126 GeV, suggests that at least a part of the supersymmetric spectrum of the MSSM may live beyond O(1TeV) and hence inaccessible to the LHC. However, there are theoretical and phenomenological reasons supporting a possibility that charginos and neutralinos remain much closer to the electroweak scale. In this paper, we explore such a scenario in the light of recent Higgs measurements, mainly its di-photon decay rate, where the data might indicate a slight excess over the SM prediction. That excess could be fitted by the contribution of light charginos provided tan(beta) is low to moderate, a possibility that is receiving much attention for other theoretical reasons. We investigate the implications of this scenario for other observables, such as dark matter constraints, electroweak observables and experimental signals at the LHC, like di-lepton, tri-lepton and same-sign dilepton. An important part of the models survive all the constraints and are able to give positive signals at LHC-14TeV and/or XENON1T.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Gauge Coupling Unification and Non-Equilibrium Thermal Dark Matter

We study a new mechanism for the production of dark matter in the universe which does not rely on thermal equilibrium. Dark matter is populated from the thermal bath subsequent to inflationary reheating via a massive mediator whose mass is above the reheating scale, T_R. To this end, we consider models with an extra U(1) gauge symmetry broken at some intermediate scale M, of the order of 10^10 -- 10^12 GeV. We show that not only does the model allow for gauge coupling unification (at a higher scale associated with grand unification) but can naturally provide a dark matter candidate which is a Standard Model singlet but charged under the extra U(1). The intermediate scale gauge boson(s) which are predicted in several E6/SO(10) constructions can be a natural mediator between dark matter and the thermal bath. We show that the dark matter abundance, while never having achieved thermal equilibrium, is fixed shortly after the reheating epoch by the relation T_R^3/M^4. As a consequence, we show that the unification of gauge couplings which determines M also fixes the reheating temperature T_R, which can be as high as 10^11 GeV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Complementarity of Galactic radio and collider data in constraining WIMP dark matter models

In this work we confront dark matter models to constraints that may be derived from radio synchrotron radiation from the Galaxy, taking into account the astrophysical uncertainties and we compare these to bounds set by accelerator and complementary indirect dark matter searches. Specifically we apply our analysis to three popular particle physics models. First, a generic effective operator approach, in which case we set bounds on the corresponding mass scale, and then, two specific UV completions, the Z' and Higgs portals. We show that for many candidates, the radio synchrotron limits are competitive with the other searches, and could even give the strongest constraints (as of today) with some reasonable assumptions regarding the astrophysical uncertainties.

hep-ph↗