Impact of dark matter self-scattering on its relic abundance

Abstract

Elastic self-scatterings do not change the number of dark matter particles and as such have been neglected in the calculation of its relic abundance. In this work we highlight the scenarios where the presence of self-scatterings has a significant impact on the effectiveness of annihilation processes through the modification of dark matter momentum distribution. We study a few example freeze-out scenarios involving resonant and sub-threshold annihilations, as well as a model with an additional source of dark matter particles from the decays of a heavier mediator state. Interestingly, when the calculation is performed at the level of dark matter momentum distribution function, we find that the injection of additional energetic dark matter particles onto the thermal population can lead to a $\text{decrease}$ of its final relic abundance.

13 pages, 8 figures; matches published version

References in corpus (16)

• Sterile neutrinos, dark matter, and the pulsar velocities in models with a Higgs singlet
• Dark-matter sterile neutrinos in models with a gauge singlet in the Higgs sector
• keV Sterile Neutrino Dark Matter from Singlet Scalar Decays: Basic Concepts and Subtle Features
• Lyman-$\alpha$ constraints on freeze-in and superWIMPs
• Non-thermal Origin of Asymmetric Dark Matter from Inflaton and Primordial Black Holes
• Observational constraints on dark matter scattering with electrons
• DRAKE: Dark matter Relic Abundance beyond Kinetic Equilibrium
• Resonance enhancement of dark matter interactions: the case for early kinetic decoupling and velocity dependent resonance width
• Revisiting Dark Matter Freeze-in and Freeze-out through Phase-Space Distribution
• Improved bounds on ${\mathbb{Z}}_3$ singlet dark matter
• Early kinetic decoupling and a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone dark matter model
• Momentum distributions of cosmic relics: Improved analysis
• A model for mixed warm and hot right-handed neutrino dark matter
• The effect of the early kinetic decoupling in a fermionic dark matter model
• Cosmology of complex scalar dark matter: interplay of self-scattering and annihilation
• Singlet-Doublet Self-interacting Dark Matter and Radiative Neutrino Mass

Cited by in corpus (4)

• A new life for sterile neutrino dark matter after the pandemic
• Combined constraints on dark photons and discovery prospects at the LHC and the Forward Physics Facility
• Early kinetic decoupling effect on the forbidden dark matter annihilations into standard model particles
• Higgs-portal dark matter from non-supersymmetric strings