A new life for sterile neutrino dark matter after the pandemic

Abstract

We propose a novel mechanism to generate sterile neutrinos $\nu_s$ in theearly Universe, by converting ordinary neutrinos $\nu_\alpha$ in scatteringprocesses $\nu_s\nu_\alpha\to\nu_s\nu_s$. After initial production byoscillations, this leads to an exponential growth in the $\nu_s$ abundance. Weshow that such a production regime naturally occurs for self-interacting$\nu_s$, and that this opens up significant new parameter space where $\nu_s$make up all of the observed dark matter. Our results provide strong motivationto further push the sensitivity of X-ray line searches, and to improve onconstraints from structure formation.<br