Successful Freeze-Out of Strongly Interacting Dark Matter with Even-Numbered Interactions

Author(s)
Xiaoyong Chu, Marco Nikolic, Josef Pradler
Abstract

Strongly interacting massive particles π have been advocated as prominent dark matter candidates when they regulate their relic abundance through odd-numbered 3π→2π annihilation. We show that successful freeze-out may also be achieved through even-numbered interactions XX→ππ once bound states X among the particles of the low-energy spectrum exist. In addition, X-formation hosts the potential of also catalyzing odd-numbered 3π→2π annihilation processes, turning them into effective two-body processes πX→ππ. Bound states are often a natural consequence of strongly interacting theories. We calculate the dark matter freeze-out and comment on the cosmic viability and possible extensions. Candidate theories can encompass confining sectors without a mass gap, glueball dark matter, or φ3 and φ4 theories with strong Yukawa or self-interactions.

Organisation(s)
Faculty of Physics, Particle Physics
External organisation(s)
Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW), University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Journal
Physical Review Letters
Volume
133
No. of pages
7
ISSN
0031-9007
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.021003
Publication date
07-2024
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103036 Theoretical physics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
General Physics and Astronomy
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/f456eb33-589c-48fc-96d4-ece7e6eff0c6