R^2 Dark Matter

There is a non-trivial four-derivative extension of the gravitational spectrum that is free of ghosts and phenomenologically viable. It is the so called $R^2$-gravity since it is defined by the only addition of a term proportional to the square of the scalar curvature. Just the presence of this term does not improve the ultraviolet behaviour of Einstein gravity but introduces one additional scalar degree of freedom that can account for the dark matter of our Universe.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the Proceedings of the sixth International Workshop on the Dark Side of the Universe (DSU2010) Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico 1-6 June 201

Dark Matter and Higgs Sector

The inert doublet model is an extension of the Standard Model of Elementary Particles that is defined by the only addition of a second Higgs doublet without couplings to quarks or leptons. This minimal framework has been studied for many reasons. In particular, it has been suggested that the new degrees of freedom contained in this doublet can account for the Dark Matter of the Universe.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures,To appear in the Proceedings of the sixth International Workshop on the Dark Side of the Universe (DSU2010) Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico 1-6 June 201

Branon radiative corrections to collider physics and precision observables

In the context of brane-world scenarios, we study the effects produced by the exchange of virtual massive branons. A one-loop calculation is performed which generates higher-dimensional operators involving SM fields suppressed by powers of the brane tension scale. We discuss constraints on this scenario from colliders such as HERA, LEP and Tevatron and prospects for future detections at LHC or ILC. The most interesting phenomenology comes from new four-particles vertices induced by branon radiative corrections, mainly from four fermion interactions. The presence of flexible branes modifies also the muon anomalous magnetic moment and the electroweak precision observables.Comment: 23 pages, 4 figures, LaTe

Dark photon searches with atomic transitions

Dark matter could be made up of dark photons, massive but very light particles whose interactions with matter resemble those of usual photons but suppressed by a small mixing parameter. We analyze the main approaches to dark photon interactions and how they can be applied to direct detection experiments which test different ranges of masses and mixings. A new experiment based on counting dark photons from induced atomic transitions in a target material is proposed. This approach appears to be particularly appropriate for dark photon detection in the meV mass range, extending the constraints in the mixing parameter by up to eight orders of magnitude with respect to previous experiments.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figure

Some model-independent phenomenological consequences of flexible brane worlds

In this work we will review the main properties of brane-world models with low tension. Starting from very general principles, it is possible to obtain an effective action for the relevant degrees of freedom at low energies (branons). Using the cross sections for high-energy processes involving branons, we set bounds on the different parameters appearing in these models. We also show that branons provide a WIMP candidate for dark matter in a natural way. We consider cosmological constraints on its thermal and non-thermal relic abundances. We derive direct detection limits and compare those limits with the preferred parameter region in the case in which the EGRET excess in the diffuse galactic gamma rays is due to dark matter annihilation. Finally we will discuss the constraints coming from the precision tests of the Standard Model and the muon anomalous magnetic moment.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures. Contribution to the Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Quantum Theories and Renormalization Group in Gravity and Cosmology, IRGAC 2006, Barcelona, 11-15 July, 200

The Newtonian limit at intermediate energies

We study the metric solutions for the gravitational equations in Modified Gravity Models (MGMs). In models with negative powers of the scalar curvature, we show that the Newtonian Limit (NL) is well defined as a limit at intermediate energies, in contrast with the usual low energy interpretation. Indeed, we show that the gravitational interaction is modified at low densities or low curvatures.Comment: 4 pages, REVTeX 4; minor typos corrected, one reference adde

Branon search in hadronic colliders

In the context of the brane-world scenarios with compactified extra dimensions, we study the production of brane fluctuations (branons) in hadron colliders ($p \bar p$, $pp$ and $e^\pm p$) in terms of the brane tension parameter $f$, the branon mass $M$ and the number of branons $N$. From the absence of monojets events at HERA and Tevatron (run I), we set bounds on these parameters and we also study how such bounds could be improved at Tevatron (run II) and the future LHC. The single photon channel is also analyzed for the two last colliders.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, LaTeX. New comments and figures included. Final version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Phenomenological implications of brane world scenarios with low tension

The recent proposal of theories with compactified large extra dimensions is reviewed. We pay especial attention to brane world models with low tension where the only relevant degrees of freedom at low energies are the Standard Model (SM) particles and the branons, which are transversal brane oscillations. By using an effective Lagrangian, we study some phenomenological consequences of these scenarios in a model independent way.Comment: 8 pages, LaTeX uses aipproc, 2 figures. Talk given by A. Dobado in the X Mexican School of Particles and Fields, Playa del Carmen, Mexico, 200