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Title: Constraining light thermal inelastic dark matter with NA64

Journal Article · · European Physical Journal. C, Particles and Fields (Online)
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [5];  [6]
  1. Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule (ETH), Zurich (Switzerland). Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics
  2. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Durham Univ. (United Kingdom)
  3. Perimeter Inst. for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, ON (Canada); Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
  4. Univ. of Bologna (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Bologna (Italy); Universite Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium)
  5. Spanish National Research Council (CSIC/UV), Valencia (Spain). Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular
  6. Univ. of Bologna (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Bologna (Italy); European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland)

A vector portal between the Standard Model and the dark sector is a predictive and compelling framework for thermal dark matter. Through co-annihilations, models of inelastic dark matter (iDM) and inelastic Dirac dark matter (i2DM) can reproduce the observed relic density in the MeV to GeV mass range without violating cosmological limits. In these scenarios, the vector mediator behaves like a semi-visible particle, evading traditional bounds on visible or invisible resonances, and uncovering new parameter space to explain the muon (g–2) anomaly. By means of a more inclusive signal definition at the NA64 experiment, we place new constraints on iDM and i2DM using a missing energy technique. With a recast-based analysis, we contextualize the NA64 exclusion limits in parameter space and estimate the reach of the newly collected and expected future NA64 data. Our results motivate the development of an optimized search program for semi-visible particles, in which fixed-target experiments like NA64 provide a powerful probe in the sub-GeV mass range.

Research Organization:
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP); European Union (EU); ETH Zürich; Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-07CH11359; H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019/860881-HIDDeN; 101086085-ASYMMETRY; 169133; 186181; 186158; 197346; RyC-030551-I; PID2021-123955NA-100
OSTI ID:
1958508
Report Number(s):
IRMP-CP3-23-09; FERMILAB-PUB-23-066-T; arXiv:2302.05414; oai:inspirehep.net:2631076; TRN: US2312717
Journal Information:
European Physical Journal. C, Particles and Fields (Online), Vol. 83, Issue 5; ISSN 1434-6052
Publisher:
Springer NatureCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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