Direct Detection with Dark Mediators

Abstract

We introduce dark mediator Dark matter (dmDM) where the dark and visible sectors are connected by at least one light mediator $\varphi$ carrying the same dark charge that stabilizes DM. $\varphi$ is coupled to the Standard Model via an operator $\bar{q}q\varphi {\varphi }^{\ast }/\Lambda$, and to dark matter via a Yukawa coupling $y_{\chi }\overline{{\chi }^c}\chi \varphi$. Direct detection is realized as the $2\to 3$ process $\chi N\to \bar{\chi }N\varphi$ at tree-level for $m_{\varphi }\lesssim 10\mathrm{keV}$ and small Yukawa coupling, or alternatively as a loop-induced $2\to 2$ process $\chi N\to \chi N$. We explore the direct-detection consequences of this scenario and find that a heavy $\mathcal{O}(100\mathrm{GeV})$ dmDM candidate fakes different $\mathcal{O}(10\mathrm{GeV})$ standard WIMPs in different experiments. Large portions of the dmDM parameter space are detectable above the irreducible neutrino background and not yet excluded by any bounds. Interestingly, for the $m_{\varphi }$ range leading to novel direct detection phenomenology, dmDM is also a form of Self-Interacting Dark Matter (SIDM), which resolves inconsistencies between dwarf galaxy observations and numerical simulations.

9 pages, 8 figures + references

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Cited by in corpus (7)

• Hidden On-Shell Mediators for the Galactic Center Gamma-Ray Excess
• Dark Nuclei I: Cosmology and Indirect Detection
• Dark Matter Annihilation Decay at The LHC
• Light mediators in dark matter direct detections
• Continuum-Mediated Dark Matter-Baryon Scattering
• Constraining dark matter interactions mediated by a light scalar with white dwarfs
• The Double-Dark Portal