Search

The article describes Boltzmann equations for a potential case of multi-particle dark matter with symmetric and asymmetric dark matter components in a model-independent approach. We focus on the specific scenario where one of the DM candidates remains completely invisible, having only hidden sector interactions with the other dark matter constituent referred to as ``dark annihilation". The possible effect of non-standard expansion of the universe on the dark matter abundance is also taken into account., Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables

Continuous gravitational waves (CGWs) from various astrophysical sources are one of the many future probes of upcoming Gravitational Wave (GW) search missions. Neutron stars (NSs) with deformity are one of the leading sources of CGW emissions. In this work, for the first time, a novel attempt to estimate the dark matter (DM) capture rate is performed using CGW as the probe to the local NS population. Competitive bounds on DM capture from the local NS population are reported when compared with DM direct search experiments and other astrophysical observations., Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures

While the $\mathbb{Z}_3$ symmetric dark matter models have shown tremendous prospects in addressing a number of (astro-)particle physics problems, they can leave interesting imprints on cosmological observations as well. We consider two such promising models: semi-annihilating dark matter (SADM) and Co-SIMP $2\rightarrow 3$ interaction, and investigate their effects on the global 21-cm signal. SADM alone cannot address the EDGES dip but can perform better with the aid of an excess radio background, whereas Co-SIMP can naturally explain the EDGES absorption feature by virtue of an intrinsic cooling effect without invoking any such excess radiation. Hence, the latter model turns out to be a rare model within the domain of CDM, that uses leptophilic interaction to achieve the EDGES dip. Further, keeping in mind the ongoing debate between EDGES and SARAS 3 on the global 21-cm signal, we demonstrate that our chosen models can still remain viable in this context, even if the EDGES data requires reassessment in future. We then extend our investigation to possible reflections on the Dark Ages, followed by a consistency check with the CMB and BAO observations via Planck 2018(+BAO) datasets. This work thus presents a compelling case of exploring these interesting particle physics models in the light of different cosmological observations., Comment: 23 pages, 13 sets of figures, 4 tables. Major update: analysis with Neff added. Accepted in JCAP

If multiple thermal weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter candidates exist, then their capture and annihilation dynamics inside a massive stars such as Sun could change from conventional method of study. With a simple correction to time evolution of dark matter (DM) number abundance inside the Sun for multiple dark matter candidates, significant changes in DM annihilation flux depending on annihilation, direct detection cross-section, internal conversion and their contribution to relic abundance are reported in present work., Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, new references added, typos corrected

We discuss how a post inflationary reheating phase characterized by a nonstandard multiple scalar field cosmology can change the thermal history of the universe, affecting minimal high scale leptogenesis. In particular, we explore a class of models where a set of scalar fields in a brane-inspired dynamical scenario modifies the Boltzmann equations concerning standard leptogenesis. The produced lepton asymmetry, due to the decays of heavy Majorana right-handed neutrinos responsible for generating Standard Model neutrino masses via the type-I seesaw, is affected as well., Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures

We perform a detailed study of scalar dark matter with triplet Higgs extensions of the Standard Model in order to explain the cosmic ray electron and positron excesses reported by AMS-02 and DAMPE. A detailed analysis of AMS-02 positron excess reveals that for different orderings (normal, inverted and quasi-degenerate) of neutrino mass, the hybrid triplet Higgs portal framework is more favored with respect to the single triplet Higgs portal for TeV scale dark matter. We also show that the resonant peak and continuous excess in DAMPE cosmic ray data can be well explained with the hybrid triplet Higgs portal dark matter when a dark matter sub-halo nearby is taken into account., Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Chinese Physics C

Recent pulsar timing data reported by the NANOGrav collaboration indicates the existence of a stochastic gravitational wave (GW) background at a frequency $f\sim 10^{-8}~\rm Hz$. We show that a dark sector consisting of a Standard Model (SM) gauge singlet fermion $\chi$ and a singlet scalar $\phi$, both charged under a $Z_4$ symmetry, is capable of generating such a low frequency GW via strong first order phase transition (SFOPT) through the modification of the standard cosmological history, where we assume faster-than-usual expansion at pre-BBN times driven by a new cosmological species $\varphi$ whose energy density red-shifts with the scale factor as $\rho_\varphi\propto a^{-\left(4+n\right)}$. Depending on the choice of the fast expansion parameters, reheat temperature and effective scale of the theory, it is also possible to address correct dark matter (DM) relic abundance via freeze-in. We show that a successful first order phase transition explaining NANOGrav results together with PLANCK observed DM abundance put bound on the fast expansion parameters requiring $n\lesssim 4$ to explain both., Comment: The treatment adopted here to obtain the gravitational wave spectrum from first order phase transition in a fast expanding universe is erroneous. We plan to take up this issue in near future

We explore the phenomenology of the Georgi-Machacek model extended with two Higgs doublets and vector fermion doublets invariant under $SU(2)_L \times U(1)_Y\times \mathcal {Z}_4 \times \mathcal {Z}_2$. The $\mathcal {Z}_4$ symmetry is broken spontaneously while the imposed $\mathcal {Z}_2$ symmetry forbids triplet fields to generate any vacuum expectation value and leading to an inert dark sector providing a viable candidate for dark matter and generate neutrino mass radiatively. Another interesting feature of the model is leptogenesis arising from decay of vector-like fermions. A detailed study of the model is pursued in search for available parameter space consistent with the theoretical and experimental observations for dark matter, neutrino physics, flavor physics, matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe., Comment: version to appear in NPB

We consider an inert Higgs doublet (IHD) extension of the Standard Model accompanied with three right handed neutrinos and a dark sector, consisting of a singlet fermion and a scalar, in order to provide a common framework for dark matter, leptognesis and neutrino mass. While the Yukawa coupling of the right handed neutrinos with IHD (having mass in the intermediate regime: 80-500 GeV) is responsible for explaining the observed baryon asymmetry through leptogenesis, its coupling with the dark sector explains the dark matter relic density. The presence of IHD also explains the neutrino mass through radiative correction. We find that study of the high scale validity of the model in this context becomes crucial as it restricts the parameter space significantly. It turns out that there exists a small, but non-zero contribution to the relic density of DM from IHD too. Considering all the constraints from dark matter, leptogenesis, neutrino mass and high scale validity of the model, we perform a study to find out the viable parameter space., Comment: 37 pages, 10 figures, 4 tables, Accepted in JCAP

We propose a two component dark matter set-up by extending the Standard Model with a singlet and a hypercharge-less triplet scalars, each of them being odd under different $Z_2$ symmetries. We observe that the inter-conversion between the two dark matter components allow a viable parameter space where masses of both the dark matter candidates can be below TeV, even though their individual contribution to single component dark matter rules out any such sub-TeV dark matter. We find that a lighter mass of the neutral component of the scalar triplet, playing the role of one dark matter component, compared to the scalar one is favored. In addition, the set-up is shown to make the electroweak vacuum absolutely stable till the Planck scale, thanks to Higgs portal coupling with the scalar dark matter components., Comment: 38 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables (Accepted in PRD)

Rare $B$ meson decays offer an opportunity to probe a light hidden $Z'$ boson. In this work we explore a new channel $B_q \to \gamma Z'$ ($q = d, s$) followed by a cascade decay of $Z'$ into an invisible (neutrino or dark matter) or charged lepton pair $\ell^+ \ell^-$ ($\ell=e ,\mu)$. The study is based on a simplified effective model where the down quark sector has tiny flavor-changing neutral current couplings with $Z'$. For the first time, we calculate ${\rm BR}(B_q \to \gamma Z')$ at the leading power of $1/m_b$ and $1/E_\gamma$. Confronting with the strong constraints from semi-invisible decays of $B$ meson, we find that the branching ratio for $B_d \to {\rm invisible} + \gamma$ can be larger than its Standard Model prediction, leaving a large room for new physics, in particular for light dark matter. Additionally, the branching ratio for $B_d \to e^+ e^- \gamma$ can also be sizable when the corresponding flavor violating $Z'$ coupling to quarks is of the axial-vector type. On the other hand, the predicted branching ratios of $B_d \to \mu^+ \mu^- \gamma$ and $B_s \to \ell^+ \ell^- \gamma$ are severely constrained by the experimental measurements., Comment: 23 pages, 14 figures

We revisit dark matter annihilation as an explanation of the positron excess reported recently by the AMS-02 satellite-borne experiment. To this end, we propose a particle dark matter model by considering a Two Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM) extended with an additional singlet boson and a singlet fermion. The additional (light) boson mixes with the pseudoscalar inherent in the 2HDM, and the singlet fermion, which is the dark matter candidate, annihilates via this bosonic portal. The dark matter candidate is made leptophilic by choosing the lepton-specific 2HDM and a suitable high value of $\tan\beta$. We identify the model parameter space which explains the muon g-2 anomaly while evading the experimental constraints. After establishing the viability of the singlet fermion to be a dark matter candidate, we calculate the positron excess produced from its annihilation to the light bosons which primarily decay to muons. Incorporating the Sommerfeld effect caused by the light mediator and an appropriate boost factor, we find that our proposed model can satisfactorily explain the positron fraction excess as well as the positron spectrum data reported by AMS-02 experiment., Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, Title modified, Text changed, Figures modified

Violation of equivalence principle predicts that neutrinos of different flavor couple differently with gravity. Such a scenario can give rise to gravity induced flavor oscillations in addition to the usual mass flavor neutrino oscillations during the neutrino propagation. Even if the equivalence principle is indeed violated, their measure will be extremely small. We explore the possibility to probe the violation of equivalence principle (VEP) for the case of long baseline (LBL) neutrinos in a 4-flavor neutrino framework (3 active + 1 sterile) where both mass and gravity induced oscillations are considered. To this end, we have explicitly calculated the oscillation probability in 4-flavor framework that includes in addition to the mass-flavor mixing in matter, the gravity-flavor mixing also. The energy eigenvalues are then obtained by diagonalizing such a 4-flavor mixing matrix. The formalism is then employed to estimate the wrong and right sign muon yields at a far detector for neutrinos produced in a neutrino factory and travel through the Earth matter. These results are compared with the similar estimations when the usual three active neutrinos are considered., Comment: 27 pages LaTeX, 6 figures

We present a study of singlet-doublet vector-like leptonic dark matter (DM) in the framework of two Higgs doublet model (2HDM), where the dark sector is comprised of one doublet and one singlet vectorlike fermions (VLFs). The DM, that arises as an admixture of the neutral components of the VLFs, is stabilized by an imposed discrete symmetry $\mathcal{Z}_2^{'}$ . We test the viability of the model in the light of observations from PLANCK and recent limits on spin-independent direct detection experiments, and search for its possible collider signals. In addition, we also look for the stochastic gravitational wave (GW) signatures resulting from strong first order phase transition due to the presence of the second Higgs doublet. The model thus offers a viable parameter space for a stable DM candidate that can be probed from direct search, collider and GW experiments., Comment: 44 pages, 13 figures, 7 tables; Version accepted in PRD

With the consideration of a fast expanding Universe in effect due to an additional scalar field, we present a study of leptogenesis in non-standard cosmology. The Hubble expansion rate is modified by the new added scalar field $\varphi$, which can change the abundance of lepton asymmetry resulted by the leptogenesis mechanism. We report a significant deviation from the standard unflavored leptogenesis scenario can be achieved in presence of the scalar field $\varphi$ that dominates the energy budget of the early Universe. We present our results for leptogenesis from type-I seesaw with heavy right-handed Majorana neutrinos. The results are based on Boltzmann equations and effects of the scalar field are similar for other kinds of leptogenesis framework., Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, references added

We propose a fermionic dark matter model by extending Standard Model with a Dirac fermion and a real pseudoscalar. The fermion dark matter particle interacts with the Standard Model sector via the Higgs portal through a dimension five interaction term as also through a pseudoscalar interaction term. The parameter space of the model is then constrained by using the vacuum stability and perturbativity condition as also with the LHC constraints. They are finally constrained by the PLANCK results for dark matter relic densities. The direct detection limits are then ensured to have satisfied by the model. We then explore within the framework of the model, the possible signatures of synchrotron radiation from the annihilations of dark matter in the Galactic Centre region when the end product is $e^+e^-$. We consider the observational data from the radio telescopes namely SKA, GMRT and Jodrell Bank telescopes and compare our calculated synchrotron flux density with them and also with the results predicted by these experiments. We predict that if the low frequency radio telescopes like GMRT, SKA operate at the peak frequencies obtained from our calculations should get a better r.m.s sensitivity., Comment: 35 pages, 8 figures

Although theoretically well-motivated as a minimal consistent Dark Matter (DM) model, the Inert Doublet Model (IDM) fell short in explaining the existence of DM in the intermediate mass region ($100-500$ GeV). We try to address this problem by introducing an additional vector dark matter. We show that the relic density of inert dark matter candidate can be enhanced significantly with new interactions in the intermediate mass region $100-500$ GeV in the multicomponent dark matter model when compared with the usual single component inert doublet model. We also show that we can get a reasonable excess in the $\ /\!\!\! E_T$ distribution if we do not apply a very hard $\ /\!\!\! E_T$ cut on it as is customary in any dark matter search at the LHC., Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables, discussions updated, appendix added, typos corrected

We extend the so-called singlet doublet dark matter model, where the dark matter is an admixture of a Standard Model singlet and a pair of electroweak doublet fermions, by a singlet scalar field. The new portal coupling of it with the dark sector not only contributes to the dark matter phenomenology (involving relic density and direct detection limits), but also becomes important for generation of dark matter mass through its vacuum expectation value. While the presence of dark sector fermions affects the stability of the electroweak vacuum adversely, we find this additional singlet is capable of making the electroweak vacuum absolutely stable upto the Planck scale. A combined study of dark matter phenomenology and Higgs vacuum stability issue reflects that the scalar sector mixing angle can be significantly constrained in this scenario., Comment: 41 pages, 15 figures, 4 tables, title modified, version published in PRD

We consider a four flavour scenario for the neutrinos where an extra sterile neutrino is introduced with the three families of active neutrinos and study the deviation from three flavour scenario in the ultra high energy (UHE) regime. We calculate the possible muon and shower yields at a 1 Km$^2$ detector such as ICECUBE for these neutrinos from distant UHE sources namely Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) etc. Similar estimations for muon and shower yields are also obtained for three flavour case. Comparing the two results we find considerable differences of the yields for these two cases. This can be useful for probing the existence of a fourth sterile component using UHE neutrino flux., Comment: 23 pages LaTeX, 5 eps figures, minor changes and corrected typos

We explore a two component dark matter model with a fermion and a scalar. In this scenario the Standard Model (SM) is extended by a fermion, a scalar and an additional pseudo scalar. The fermionic component is assumed to have a global ${\rm U(1)}_{\rm DM}$ and interacts with the pseudo scalar via Yukawa interaction while a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry is imposed on the other component -- the scalar. These ensure the stability of both the dark matter components. Although the Lagrangian of the present model is CP conserving, however the CP symmetry breaks spontaneously when the pseudo scalar acquires a vacuum expectation value (VEV). The scalar component of the dark matter in the present model also develops a VEV on spontaneous breaking of the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry. Thus the various interactions of the dark sector and the SM sector are progressed through the mixing of the SM like Higgs boson, the pseudo scalar Higgs like boson and the singlet scalar boson. We show that the observed gamma ray excess from the Galactic Centre, self-interaction of dark matter from colliding clusters as well as the 3.55 keV X-ray line from Perseus, Andromeda etc. can be simultaneously explained in the present two component dark matter model., Comment: 35 pages, 5 figures

We propose the existence of a hidden or dark sector besides the standard model (SM) of particle physics, whose members (both fermionic and bosonic) obey a local SU(2)$_{\rm H}$ gauge symmetry while behaving like a singlet under the SM gauge group. However, the fermiomic fields of the dark sector also possess another global U(1)$_{\rm H}$ symmetry which remains unbroken. The local SU(2)$_{\rm H}$ invariance of the dark sector is broken spontaneously when a scalar field in this sector acquires a vacuum expectation value (VEV) and thereby generating masses to the dark gauge bosons and dark fermions charged under the SU(2)$_{\rm H}$. The lightest fermion in this dark SU(2)$_{\rm H}$ sector can be a potential dark matter candidate. We first examine the viability of the model and constrain the model parameter space by theoretical constraints such as vacuum stability and by the experimental constraints such as PLANCK limit on relic density, LHC data, limits on spin independent scattering cross-section from dark matter direct search experiments etc. We then investigate the gamma rays from the pair annihilation of the proposed dark matter candidate at the Galactic Centre region. We also extend our calculations of gamma rays flux for the case of dwarf galaxies and compare the signatures of gamma rays obtained from these astrophysical sites., Comment: 33 pages, 16 figures, title changed, major revision

If the three types of active neutrinos possess different maximum attainable velocities and the neutrino eigenstates in the velocity basis are different from those in the flavour (and mass) basis then this will induce a flavour oscillation in addition to the normal mass flavour oscillation. Here we study such an oscillation scenario in three neutrino framework including also the matter effect and apply our results to demonstrate its consequences for long baseline neutrinos. We also predict the possible signatures in terms of yields in a possible long baseline neutrino experiment., Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, Accepted in Modern Physics Letters A

Recent study of gamma rays originating from the region of galactic centre has confirmed an anomalous $\gamma$-ray excess within the energy range 1-3 GeV. This can be explained as the consequence of pair annihilation of a 31-40 GeV dark matter into $b \bar b$ with thermal annihilation cross-section $\sigma v \sim 1.4-2.0 \times 10^{-26}~\rm{cm^3/s}$. In this work we revisit the Inert Doublet Model (IDM) in order to explain this gamma ray excess. Taking the lightest inert particle (LIP) as a stable DM candidate we show that a 31-40 GeV dark matter derived from IDM will fail to satisfy experimental limits on dark matter direct detection cross-section obtained from ongoing direct detection experiments and is also inconsistent with LHC findings. We show that a singlet extended inert doublet model can easily explain the reported $\gamma$-ray excess which is as well in agreement with Higgs search results at LHC and other observed results like DM relic density and direct detection constraints., Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures

In this work we consider a model for particle dark matter where an extra inert Higgs doublet and an additional scalar singlet is added to the Standard Model (SM) Lagrangian. The dark matter candidate is obtained from only the inert doublet. The stability of this one component dark matter is ensured by imposing a $Z_2$ symmetry on this additional inert doublet. The additional singlet scalar has a vacuum expectation value (VEV) and mixes with the Standard Model Higgs doublet resulting in two CP even scalars $h_1$ and $h_2$. We treat one of these scalars, $h_1$, to be consistent with the SM Higgs like boson of mass around 125 GeV reported by the LHC experiment. These two CP even scalars affect the annihilation cross-section of this inert doublet dark matter resulting in a larger dark matter mass region that satisfies the observed relic density. We also investigate the $h_1 \rightarrow \gamma\gamma$ and $h_1 \rightarrow \gamma Z$ processes and compared these with LHC results. This is also used to constrain the dark matter parameter space in the present model. We find that the dark matter candidate in the mass region $\frac {m_1} {2} < m_H < m_W$ GeV ($m_1 = 125$ GeV, mass of $h_1$) satisfies the recent bound from LUX direct detection experiment., Comment: 21 Pages, 5 Figures, 1 Table

We explore a fermionic dark matter model with a possible extension of Standard Model (SM) of particle physics into two Higgs doublet model. Higgs doublets couple to the singlet fermionic dark matter (FDM) through a non renormalisable coupling providing a new physics scale. We explore the viability of such dark matter candidate and constrain the model parameter space by collider serach, relic density of DM, direct detection measurements of DM-nucleon scattreing cross-section and with the experimentally obtained results from indirect search of dark matter., Comment: 22 pages, 17 new png figures, Title changed, new references added, major revision