CMB and Lyman-$\alpha$ constraints on dark matter decays to photons

Abstract

Dark matter energy injection in the early universe modifies both the ionization history and the temperature of the intergalactic medium. In this work, we improve the CMB bounds on sub-keV dark matter and extend previous bounds from Lyman-$\alpha$ observations to the same mass range, resulting in new and competitive constraints on axion-like particles (ALPs) decaying into two photons. The limits depend on the underlying reionization history, here accounted self-consistently by our modified version of the publicly available {\tt DarkHistory} and {\tt CLASS} codes. Future measurements such as the ones from the CMB-S4 experiment may play a crucial, leading role in the search for this type of light dark matter candidates.

arXiv comment18 pages, 8 figures, Version to appear on JCAP. Our modified version of CLASS is available at https://github.com/llopezho/CLASS_DMdecay

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• 21cm signal sensitivity to dark matter decay
• New Source for QCD Axion Dark Matter Production: Curvature Induced
• Constraints on freeze-in dark matter from Lyman-$\alpha$ forest and 21-cm signal : single-field models
• Probing Long-Range Forces Between Neutrinos with Cosmic Structures
• Prospects for probing dark matter particles and primordial black holes with the Hongmeng mission using the 21 cm global spectrum at cosmic dawn
• Upcoming searches for decaying dark matter with ULTRASAT ultraviolet maps
• No Warm Inflation From a Vanilla Axion
• Multi-Component Dark Matter from Minimal Flavor Violation
• Lyman-$\alpha$ limit on axion-like cold dark matter
• Limits on scalar dark matter interactions with particles other than the photon via loop corrections to the scalar-photon coupling
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• Probing Non-Minimal Dark Sectors via the 21 cm Line at Cosmic Dawn
• Translating current ALP photon coupling strength bounds to the Randall-Sundrum model
• The Glow of Axion Quark Nugget Dark Matter: (IV) CMB Spectral and Anisotropy Signatures
• Freeze-in Dark Matter via Lepton Portal: Hubble Tension and Stellar Cooling