Super Heavy Dark Matter in light of BICEP2, Planck and Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays Observations
- Gran Sasso Science Institute (INFN), Viale F. Crispi 7, I-67100 L'Aquila (Italy)
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia G. Galilei and INFN, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via F. Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy)
The announcement by BICEP2 of the detection of B-mode polarization consistent with primordial gravitational waves with a tensor-to-scalar ratio, r=0.2{sup +0.07}{sub −0.05}, challenged predictions from most inflationary models of a lower value for r. More recent results by Planck on polarized dust emission show that the observed tensor modes signal is compatible with pure foreground emission. A more significant constraint on r was then obtained by a joint analysis of Planck, BICEP2 and Keck Array data showing an upper limit to the tensor to scalar ratio r≤ 0.12, excluding the case 0r= with low statistical significance. Forthcoming measurements by BICEP3, the Keck Array, and other CMB polarization experiments, open the possibility for making the fundamental measurement of r. Here we discuss how r sets the scale for models where the dark matter is created at the inflationary epoch, the generically called super-heavy dark matter models. We also consider the constraints on such scenarios given by recent data from ultrahigh energy cosmic ray observatories which set the limit on super-heavy dark matter particles lifetime. We discuss how super-heavy dark matter can be discovered by a precise measurement of r combined with future observations of ultra high energy cosmic rays.
- OSTI ID:
- 22525573
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Vol. 2015, Issue 08; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1475-7516
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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