Scalar dark matter coannihilating with a coloured fermion

Abstract

We analyse the phenomenology of a simplified model for a real scalar dark matter candidate interacting with quarks via a coloured fermionic mediator. In the coannihilation regime, the dark matter abundance is controlled by the dynamics of the coloured fermions which can be significantly affected by non-perturbative effects. We employ a non-relativistic effective field theory approach which allows us to systematically treat the Sommerfeld effect and bound-state formation in the early Universe. The parameter space compatible with the dark matter relic abundance is confronted with direct, indirect and collider searches. A substantial part of the parameter space, with dark matter masses up to 18 TeV, is already excluded by XENON1T. Most of the remaining thermal relics can be probed by a future Darwin-like experiment, when taking properly into account the running of the relevant couplings for the direct detection processes.

32 pages + appendices, 10 figures