The WIMPless Miracle: Dark Matter Particles without Weak-scale Masses or Weak Interactions

TL;DR

This work proposes a framework for dark matter that accommodates single or multiple component dark matter, dark-matter masses from 10 MeV to 10 TeV, and interaction strengths from gravitational to strong.

Abstract

We propose that dark matter is composed of particles that naturally have the correct thermal relic density, but have neither weak-scale masses nor weak interactions. These WIMPless models emerge naturally from gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking, where they elegantly solve the dark matter problem. The framework accommodates single or multiple component dark matter, dark matter masses from 10 MeV to 10 TeV, and interaction strengths from gravitational to strong. These candidates enhance many direct and indirect signals relative to WIMPs and have qualitatively new implications for dark matter searches and cosmological implications for colliders.

Figures (3)

• Figure 1: Sectors of the model. SUSY breaking is mediated by gauge interactions to the MSSM and the hidden sector, which contains the dark matter particle $X$. An optional connector sector contains fields $Y$, charged under both MSSM and hidden sector gauge groups, which induce signals in direct and indirect searches and at colliders. There may also be other hidden sectors, leading to multi-component dark matter.
• Figure 2: Direct detection cross sections for spin-independent $X$-proton scattering as a function of dark matter mass $m_X$. The solid curves are the predictions for WIMPless dark matter with connector mass $m_{Y_u}=400~\text{GeV}$ and the Yukawa couplings $\lambda_u$ indicated. The shaded region is excluded by CRESST Angloher:2002in, CDMS (Si) Akerib:2005kh, TEXONO Lin:2007ka, XENON Angle:2007uj, and CDMS (Ge) Ahmed:2008eu.
• Figure 3: Indirect detection prospects for WIMPless dark matter as a function of dark matter mass $m_X$. For values of $\bar{J}$ above the contours, the annihilation process $X \bar{X} \to \tau \bar{\tau}$ yields an observable photon signal at GLAST. We assume connector mass $m_{Y_{\tau}} = 200~\text{GeV}$ and the Yukawa couplings $\lambda_{\tau}$ indicated.