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Author Sandner, S.; Escudero, M.; Witte, S.J.
Title Precision CMB constraints on eV-scale bosons coupled to neutrinos Type Journal Article
Year 2023 Publication European Physical Journal C Abbreviated Journal Eur. Phys. J. C
Volume 83 Issue 8 Pages 709 - 12pp
Keywords
Abstract (down) The cosmic microwave background (CMB) has proven to be an invaluable tool for studying the properties and interactions of neutrinos, providing insight not only into the sum of neutrino masses but also the free streaming nature of neutrinos prior to recombination. The CMB is a particularly powerful probe of new eV-scale bosons interacting with neutrinos, as these particles can thermalizewith neutrinos via the inverse decay process, v (v) over bar -> X, and suppress neutrino free streaming near recombination – even for couplings as small as lambda(v) similar to O(10(-13)). Here, we revisit CMB constraints on such bosons, improving upon a number of approximations previously adopted in the literature and generalizing the constraints to a broader class of models. This includes scenarios in which the boson is either spin-0 or spin-1, the number of interacting neutrinos is either N-int = 1, 2 or 3, and the case in which a primordial abundance of the species is present. We apply these bounds to well-motivatedmodels, such as the singlet majoron model or a light U(1) L-mu- L-t gauge boson, and find that they represent the leading constraints for masses m(X) similar to 1 eV. Finally, we revisit the extent to which neutrinophilic bosons can ameliorate the Hubble tension, and find that recent improvements in the understanding of how such bosons damp neutrino free streaming reduces the previously found success of this proposal.
Address [Sandner, Stefan] Univ Valencia, Inst Fis Corpuscular, Edificio Inst Invest,Catedrat Jose Beltran 2, Paterna 46980, Spain, Email: stefan.sandner@ific.uv.es;
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Springer Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1434-6044 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:001045200700001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 5608
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Author Escudero, M.; Witte, S.J.; Hooper, D.
Title Hidden sector dark matter and the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess: a closer look Type Journal Article
Year 2017 Publication Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Abbreviated Journal J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.
Volume 11 Issue 11 Pages 042 - 29pp
Keywords dark matter experiments; dark matter theory
Abstract (down) Stringent constraints from direct detection experiments and the Large Hadron Collider motivate us to consider models in which the dark matter does not directly couple to the Standard Model, but that instead annihilates into hidden sector particles which ultimately decay through small couplings to the Standard Model. We calculate the gamma-ray emission generated within the context of several such hidden sector models, including those in which the hidden sector couples to the Standard Model through the vector portal (kinetic mixing with Standard Model hypercharge), through the Higgs portal (mixing with the Standard Model Higgs boson), or both. In each case, we identify broad regions of parameter space in which the observed spectrum and intensity of the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess can easily be accommodated, while providing an acceptable thermal relic abundance and remaining consistent with all current constraints. We also point out that cosmic-ray antiproton measurements could potentially discriminate some hidden sector models from more conventional dark matter scenarios.
Address [Escudero, Miguel; Witte, Samuel J.] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, Apartado Correos 22085, E-46071 Valencia, Spain, Email: miguel.escudero@ific.uv.es;
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1475-7516 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000417561900005 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 3412
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Author Blas, D.; Witte, S.J.
Title Quenching mechanisms of photon superradiance Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 102 Issue 12 Pages 123018 - 10pp
Keywords
Abstract (down) Rapidly rotating black holes are known to develop instabilities in the presence of a sufficiently light boson, a process which becomes efficient when the boson's Compton wavelength is roughly the size of the black hole. This phenomenon known as black hole superradiance generates an exponentially growing boson cloud at the expense of the rotational energy of the black hole. For astrophysical black holes with M similar to O(10)M-circle dot, the superradiant condition is achieved for bosons with m(b) similar to O(10(-11))eV; intriguingly, photons traversing the intergalactic medium acquire an effective mass (due to their interactions with the ambient plasma) which naturally resides in this range. The implications of photon superradiance, i.e., the evolution of the superradiant photon cloud and ambient plasma in the presence of scattering and particle production processes, have yet to be thoroughly investigated. Here, we enumerate and discuss a number of different processes capable of quenching the growth of the photon cloud, including particle interactions with the ambient electrons and backreactions on the effective mass (arising e.g., from thermal effects, pair production, ionization of the local background, and modifications to the dispersion relation from strong electric fields). This work naturally serves as a guide in understanding how interactions may allow light exotic bosons to evade superradiant constraints.
Address [Blas, Diego] Kings Coll London, Dept Phys, Theoret Particle Phys & Cosmol Grp, London WC2R 2LS, England, Email: diego.blas@kcl.ac.uk;
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer Physical Soc Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2470-0010 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000599093100002 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 4666
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Author McDermott, S.D.; Witte, S.J.
Title Cosmological evolution of light dark photon dark matter Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 101 Issue 6 Pages 063030 - 14pp
Keywords
Abstract (down) Light dark photons are subject to various plasma effects, such as Debye screening and resonant oscillations, which can lead to a more complex cosmological evolution than is experienced by conventional cold dark matter candidates. Maintaining a consistent history of dark photon dark matter requires ensuring that the superthennal abundance present in the early Universe (i) does not deviate significantly after the formation of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), and (ii) does not excessively leak into the Standard Model plasma after big band nucleosynthesis (BBN). We point out that the role of nonresonant absorption, which has previously been neglected in cosmological studies of this dark matter candidate, produces strong constraints on dark photon dark matter with mass as low as 10(-22) eV. Furthermore, we show that resonant conversion of dark photons after recombination can produce excessive heating of the intergalactic medium (IGM) which is capable of prematurely reionizing hydrogen and helium, leaving a distinct imprint on both the Ly-a forest and the integrated optical depth of the CMB. Our constraints surpass existing cosmological bounds by more than 5 orders of magnitude across a wide range of dark photon masses.
Address [McDermott, Samuel D.] Fermilab Natl Accelerator Lab, Theoret Astrophys Grp, POB 500, Batavia, IL 60510 USA
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer Physical Soc Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2470-0010 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000522168800002 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 4346
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Author Blas, D.; Witte, S.J.
Title Imprints of axion superradiance in the CMB Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 102 Issue 10 Pages 103018 - 10pp
Keywords
Abstract (down) Light axions (m(a) less than or similar to 10(-10) eV) can form dense clouds around rapidly rotating astrophysical black holes via a mechanism known as rotational superradiance. The coupling between axions and photons induces a parametric resonance, arising from the stimulated decay of the axion cloud, which can rapidly convert regions of large axion number densities into an enormous flux of low-energy photons. In this work we consider the phenomenological implications of a superradiant axion cloud undergoing resonant decay. We show that the low-energy photons produced from such events will be absorbed over cosmologically short distances, potentially inducing massive shockwaves that heat and ionize the intergalactic medium over Mpc scales. These shockwaves may leave observable imprints in the form of anisotropic spectral distortions or inhomogeneous features in the optical depth.
Address [Blas, Diego] Kings Coll London, Dept Phys, Theoret Particle Phys & Cosmol Grp, London WC2R 2LS, England, Email: diego.blas@kcl.ac.uk;
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer Physical Soc Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2470-0010 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000589606900004 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 4609
Permanent link to this record