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Title: Implications of BBN bounds for cosmic ray upscattered dark matter

Abstract

We consider the big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) bounds on light dark matter whose cross section off nucleons is sufficiently large to enable acceleration by scattering off of cosmic rays in the local galaxy. Such accelerated DM could then deposit energy in terrestrial detectors. Since this signal involves DM of mass ~keV-GeV and requires large cross sections ≳10-31 cm2 in a relativistic kinematic regime, we find that the DM population in this scenario is generically equilibrated with Standard Model particles in the early universe. For sufficiently low DM masses ≲10 MeV, corresponding to much of the favored region of many cosmic-ray upscattering studies, this equilibrated DM population adds an additional component to the relativistic energy density around T~few MeV and thereby spoils the successful predictions of BBN. In the remaining ~10 MeV–GeV mass range, the large couplings required in this scenario are either currently excluded or within reach of current or future accelerator-based searches.

Authors:
ORCiD logo; ORCiD logo
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
OSTI Identifier:
1634132
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1557454
Report Number(s):
arXiv:1908.00007; FERMILAB-PUB-19-358-A
Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010; PRVDAQ; 123022
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-07CH11359
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Physical Review. D.
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Physical Review. D. Journal Volume: 101 Journal Issue: 12; Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS

Citation Formats

Krnjaic, Gordan, and McDermott, Samuel D. Implications of BBN bounds for cosmic ray upscattered dark matter. United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.101.123022.
Krnjaic, Gordan, & McDermott, Samuel D. Implications of BBN bounds for cosmic ray upscattered dark matter. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.101.123022
Krnjaic, Gordan, and McDermott, Samuel D. Fri . "Implications of BBN bounds for cosmic ray upscattered dark matter". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.101.123022.
@article{osti_1634132,
title = {Implications of BBN bounds for cosmic ray upscattered dark matter},
author = {Krnjaic, Gordan and McDermott, Samuel D.},
abstractNote = {We consider the big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) bounds on light dark matter whose cross section off nucleons is sufficiently large to enable acceleration by scattering off of cosmic rays in the local galaxy. Such accelerated DM could then deposit energy in terrestrial detectors. Since this signal involves DM of mass ~keV-GeV and requires large cross sections ≳10-31 cm2 in a relativistic kinematic regime, we find that the DM population in this scenario is generically equilibrated with Standard Model particles in the early universe. For sufficiently low DM masses ≲10 MeV, corresponding to much of the favored region of many cosmic-ray upscattering studies, this equilibrated DM population adds an additional component to the relativistic energy density around T~few MeV and thereby spoils the successful predictions of BBN. In the remaining ~10 MeV–GeV mass range, the large couplings required in this scenario are either currently excluded or within reach of current or future accelerator-based searches.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevD.101.123022},
journal = {Physical Review. D.},
number = 12,
volume = 101,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jun 19 00:00:00 EDT 2020},
month = {Fri Jun 19 00:00:00 EDT 2020}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.101.123022

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 31 works
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