Generation of Asymmetric Dark Matter and Gravitational Waves

We consider the possibility of a gravitational wave signal in an asymmetric dark matter model. In this model a generative sector produces both the baryon asymmetry and a dark matter asymmetry in a strong first-order phase transtion. Bubble collisions during the phase transition lead to sound waves in the plasma which are a source of a stochastic gravitational wave background. We consider the prospects of future graviational wave observatories such as LISA and BBO detecting such a signal. Constraints on the model from Halo ellipticity, $\Delta N_{\rm eff}$ and direct detection experiments are also discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Prepared for the proceedings of the 29th Rencontres de Blois on Particle Physics and Cosmolog

Gravitational waves from the asymmetric-dark-matter generating phase transition

The baryon asymmetry, together with a dark matter asymmetry, may be produced during a first order phase transition in a generative sector. We study the possibility of a gravitational wave signal in a model realising such a scenario. We identify areas of parameter space with strong phase transitions which can be probed by future, space based, gravitational wave detectors. Other signals of this scenario include collider signatures of a $Z'$, DM self interactions, a contribution to $\Delta N_{\rm eff}$ and nuclear recoils at direct detection experiments.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figures. V2: corrected typo, added references. V3: small corrections, added reference

Asymmetric thermal-relic dark matter: Sommerfeld-enhanced freeze-out, annihilation signals and unitarity bounds

Dark matter that possesses a particle-antiparticle asymmetry and has thermalised in the early universe, requires a larger annihilation cross-section compared to symmetric dark matter, in order to deplete the dark antiparticles and account for the observed dark matter density. The annihilation cross-section determines the residual symmetric component of dark matter, which may give rise to annihilation signals during CMB and inside haloes today. We consider dark matter with long-range interactions, in particular dark matter coupled to a light vector or scalar force mediator. We compute the couplings required to attain a final antiparticle-to-particle ratio after the thermal freeze-out of the annihilation processes in the early universe, and then estimate the late-time annihilation signals. We show that, due to the Sommerfeld enhancement, highly asymmetric dark matter with long-range interactions can have a significant annihilation rate, potentially larger than symmetric dark matter of the same mass with contact interactions. We discuss caveats in this estimation, relating to the formation of stable bound states. Finally, we consider the non-relativistic partial-wave unitarity bound on the inelastic cross-section, we discuss why it can be realised only by long-range interactions, and showcase the importance of higher partial waves in this regime of large inelasticity. We derive upper bounds on the mass of symmetric and asymmetric thermal-relic dark matter for s-wave and p-wave annihilation, and exhibit how these bounds strengthen as the dark asymmetry increases.Comment: 31 pages, 8 figures. V2: small corrections, added discussion and reference

Hot and Heavy Dark Matter from Supercooling

We point out that dark matter which is produced non-adiabatically in a phase transition (PT) with fast bubble walls receives a boost in velocity which leads to long free-streaming lengths. We find that this could be observed via the suppressed matter power spectrum for dark matter masses around $10^8 - 10^9$ GeV and energy scales of the PT around $10^{2} - 10^3~{\rm GeV}$. The PT should take place at the border of the supercooled regime, i.e. approximately when the Universe becomes vacuum dominated. This work offers novel physics goals for galaxy surveys, Lyman-$\alpha$, lensing, and 21-cm observations, and connects these to the gravitational waves from such phase transitions, and more speculatively to possible telescope signals of heavy dark matter decays.Comment: 5 pages plus appendice

Particle-antiparticle asymmetries from annihilations

An extensively studied mechanism to create particle-antiparticle asymmetries is the out-of-equilibrium and CP violating decay of a heavy particle. Here we instead examine how asymmetries can arise purely from 2 2 annihilations rather than from the usual 1 2 decays and inverse decays. We review the general conditions on the reaction rates that arise from S-matrix unitarity and CPT invariance, and show how these are implemented in the context of a simple toy model. We formulate the Boltzmann equations for this model, and present an example solution.Comment: 5 pages, v2: added reference, v3: some changes to text in response to comment

Non-Cold Dark Matter from Primordial Black Hole Evaporation

Dark matter coupled solely gravitationally can be produced through the decay of primordial black holes in the early universe. If the dark matter is lighter than the initial black hole temperature, it could be warm enough to be subject to structure formation constraints. In this paper we perform a more precise determination of these constraints. We first evaluate the dark matter phase-space distribution, without relying on the instantaneous decay approximation. We then interface this phase-space distribution with the Boltzmann code CLASS to extract the corresponding matter power spectrum, which we find to match closely those of warm dark matter models, albeit with a different dark matter mass. This mapping allows us to extract constraints from Lyman-$\alpha$ data without the need to perform hydrodynamical simulations. We robustly rule out the possibility, consistent with previous analytic estimates, of primordial black holes having come to dominate the energy density of the universe and simultaneously given rise to all the DM through their decay. Consequences and implications for dark radiation and leptogenesis are also briefly discussed.Comment: 33 pages, 4 figure

Primordial black holes as dark matter: Interferometric tests of phase transition origin

We show that primordial black holes - in the observationally allowed mass window with $f_{\rm pbh}=1$ - formed from late nucleating patches in a first order phase transition imply upcoming gravitational wave interferometers will see a large stochastic background arising from the bubble collisions. As an example, we use a classically scale invariant $B-L$ model, in which the right handed neutrinos explain the neutrino masses and leptogenesis, and the dark matter consists of primordial black holes. The conclusion regarding the gravitational waves is, however, expected to hold model independently for black holes coming from such late nucleating patches.Comment: 33 page

Baryon Number Violating Scalar Diquarks at the LHC

Baryon number violating (BNV) processes are heavily constrained by experiments searching for nucleon decay and neutron-antineutron oscillations. If the baryon number violation occurs via the third generation quarks, however, we may be able to avoid the nucleon stability constraints, thus making such BNV interactions accessible at the LHC. In this paper we study a specific class of BNV extensions of the standard model (SM) involving diquark and leptoquark scalars. After an introduction to these models we study one promising extension in detail, being interested in particles with mass of O(TeV). We calculate limits on the masses and couplings from neutron-antineutron oscillations and dineutron decay for couplings to first and third generation quarks. We explore the possible consequences of such a model on the matter-antimatter asymmetry. We shall see that for models which break the global baryon minus lepton number symmetry, (B-L), the most stringent constraints come from the need to preserve a matter-antimatter asymmetry. That is, the BNV interaction cannot be introduced if it would remove the matter-antimatter asymmetry independent of baryogenesis mechanism and temperature. Finally, we examine the phenomenology of such models at colliders such as the LHC.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures. v2: references added, some typos corrected. v3: some small corrections to match published version, no change in conclusion

Asymmetric dark matter: residual annihilations and self-interactions

Dark matter (DM) coupled to light mediators has been invoked to resolve the putative discrepancies between collisionless cold DM and galactic structure observations. However, $\gamma$-ray searches and the CMB strongly constrain such scenarios. To ease the tension, we consider asymmetric DM. We show that, contrary to the common lore, detectable annihilations occur even for large asymmetries, and derive bounds from the CMB, $\gamma$-ray, neutrino and antiproton searches. We then identify the viable space for self-interacting DM. Direct detection does not exclude this scenario, but provides a way to test it.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figure