Cosmology and terrestrial signals of sexaquark dark matter

Journal Article · 10 July 2024 · Physical Review. D.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.110.023515 · OSTI ID:2396992

Moore, Marianne ; Slatyer, Tracy R.

We investigate the hypothesis that sexaquarks, hypothetical stable six-quark states, could be a significant component of the dark matter. We expand on previous studies of sexaquark cosmology, accounting for the possibility that some relevant interaction cross sections might be strongly suppressed below expectations based on dimensional analysis. We update direct-detection constraints on stable sexaquarks comprising a subdominant fraction of the dark matter, as well as limits on the annihilation of an antisexaquark component from Super-Kamiokande. We argue that the scenario where sexaquarks comprise a $\mathcal{O}\left(1\right)$ fraction of the dark matter would require either a suppression of $\mathcal{O}\left({10}^{-19}\right)$ in sexaquark interactions with baryons, combined with a very high yield of net sexaquark number from the quark-hadron transition, or else a very strong suppression of the cross section for antisexaquark annihilation on nucleons ( $24+$ orders of magnitude below the QCD scale). Independently, we find that a sexaquark component comprising more than $\mathcal{O}\left({10}^{-3}\right)$ of the dark matter can be excluded from direct-detection bounds, unless its scattering cross section is severely suppressed compared to the expected scale of strong and even electromagnetic interactions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0012567
• OSTI ID: 2396992
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D., Journal Name: Physical Review. D. Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 110; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 2470-0010
• Publisher: American Physical SocietyCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English