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Author Escudero, M.; Witte, S.J.
Title (up) A CMB search for the neutrino mass mechanism and its relation to the Hubble tension Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication European Physical Journal C Abbreviated Journal Eur. Phys. J. C
Volume 80 Issue 4 Pages 294 - 10pp
Keywords
Abstract The majoron, a pseudo-Goldstone boson arising from the spontaneous breaking of global lepton number, is a generic feature of many models intended to explain the origin of the small neutrino masses. In this work, we investigate potential imprints in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) arising from massive majorons, should they thermalize with neutrinos after Big Bang Nucleosynthesis via inverse neutrino decays. We show that Planck2018 measurements of the CMB are currently sensitive to neutrino-majoron couplings as small as lambda similar to 10-13, which if interpreted in the context of the type-I seesaw mechanism correspond to a lepton number symmetry breaking scale vL similar to O(100)GeV Additionally, we identify parameter space for which the majoron-neutrino interactions, collectively with an extra contribution to the effective number of relativistic species Neff, can ameliorate the outstanding H0 tension.
Address [Escudero, Miguel] Kings Coll London, Dept Phys, London WC2R 2LS, England, Email: miguel.escudero@kcl.ac.uk;
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:000523450600001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 4361
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Author Hooper, D.; Leane, R.K.; Tsai, Y.D.; Wegsman, S.; Witte, S.J.
Title (up) A systematic study of hidden sector dark matter: application to the gamma-ray and antiproton excesses Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Journal of High Energy Physics Abbreviated Journal J. High Energy Phys.
Volume 07 Issue 7 Pages 163 - 38pp
Keywords Beyond Standard Model; Cosmology of Theories beyond the SM
Abstract In hidden sector models, dark matter does not directly couple to the particle content of the Standard Model, strongly suppressing rates at direct detection experiments, while still allowing for large signals from annihilation. In this paper, we conduct an extensive study of hidden sector dark matter, covering a wide range of dark matter spins, mediator spins, interaction diagrams, and annihilation final states, in each case determining whether the annihilations are s-wave (thus enabling efficient annihilation in the universe today). We then go on to consider a variety of portal interactions that allow the hidden sector annihilation products to decay into the Standard Model. We broadly classify constraints from relic density requirements and dwarf spheroidal galaxy observations. In the scenario that the hidden sector was in equilibrium with the Standard Model in the early universe, we place a lower bound on the portal coupling, as well as on the dark matter's elastic scattering cross section with nuclei. We apply our hidden sector results to the observed Galactic Center gamma-ray excess and the cosmic-ray antiproton excess. We find that both of these excesses can be simultaneously explained by a variety of hidden sector models, without any tension with constraints from observations of dwarf spheroidal galaxies.
Address [Hooper, Dan; Tsai, Yu-Dai] Fermilab Natl Accelerator Lab, Fermilab, Batavia, IL 60510 USA, Email: dhooper@fnal.gov;
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 1029-8479 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000555828300002 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 4491
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Author Gelmini, G.B.; Takhistov, V.; Witte, S.J.
Title (up) Casting a wide signal net with future direct dark matter detection experiments Type Journal Article
Year 2018 Publication Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Abbreviated Journal J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.
Volume 07 Issue 7 Pages 009 - 55pp
Keywords dark matter detectors; dark matter experiments; dark matter theory
Abstract As dark matter (DM) direct detection experiments continue to improve their sensitivity they will inevitably encounter an irreducible background arising from coherent neutrino scattering. This so-called “neutrino floor” may significantly reduce the sensitivity of an experiment to DM-nuclei interactions, particularly if the recoil spectrum of the neutrino background is approximately degenerate with the DM signal. This occurs for the conventionally considered spin-independent (SI) or spin-dependent (SD) interactions. In such case, an increase in the experiment's exposure by multiple orders of magnitude may not yield any significant increase in sensitivity. The typically considered SI and SD interactions, however, do not adequately reflect the whole landscape of the well-motivated DM models, which includes other interactions. Since particle DM has not been detected yet in laboratories, it is essential to understand and maximize the detection capabilities for a broad variety of possible models and signatures. In this work we explore the impact of the background arising from various neutrino sources on the discovery potential of a DM signal for a large class of viable DM-nucleus interactions and several potential futuristic experimental settings, with different target elements. For some momentum suppressed cross sections, large DM particle masses and heavier targets, we find that there is no suppression of the discovery limits due to neutrino backgrounds. Further, we explicitly demonstrate that inelastic scattering, which could appear in models with multicomponent dark sectors, would help to lift the signal degeneracy associated with the neutrino floor. This study could assist with mapping out the optimal DM detection strategy for the next generation of experiments.
Address [Gelmini, Graciela B.; Takhistov, Volodymyr; Witte, Samuel J.] Univ Calif Los Angeles, Dept Phys & Astron, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA, Email: gelmini@physics.ucla.edu;
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:000437422800001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 3646
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Author Mena, O.; Palomares-Ruiz, S.; Villanueva-Domingo, P.; Witte, S.J.
Title (up) Constraining the primordial black hole abundance with 21-cm cosmology Type Journal Article
Year 2019 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 100 Issue 4 Pages 043540 - 23pp
Keywords
Abstract The discoveries of a number of binary black hole mergers by LIGO and VIRGO have reinvigorated the interest that primordial black holes (PBHs) of tens of solar masses could contribute non-negligibly to the dark matter energy density. Should even a small population of PBHs with masses greater than or similar to O(M-circle dot) exist, they could profoundly impact the properties of the intergalactic medium and provide insight into novel processes at work in the early Universe. We demonstrate here that observations of the 21-cm transition in neutral hydrogen during the epochs of reionization and cosmic dawn will likely provide one of the most stringent tests of solar mass PBHs. In the context of 21-cm cosmology, PBHs give rise to three distinct observable effects: (i) the modification to the primordial power spectrum (and thus also the halo mass function) induced by Poisson noise, (ii) a uniform heating and ionization of the intergalactic medium via x-rays produced during accretion, and (iii) a local modification to the temperature and density of the ambient medium surrounding isolated PBHs. Using a four-parameter astrophysical model, we show that experiments like SKA and HERA could potentially improve upon existing constraints derived using observations of the cosmic microwave background by more than 1 order of magnitude.
Address [Mena, Olga; Palomares-Ruiz, Sergio; Villanueva-Domingo, Pablo; Witte, Samuel J.] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, Apartado Correos 22085, E-46071 Valencia, Spain
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:000483047300003 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration no
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 4122
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Author McDermott, S.D.; Witte, S.J.
Title (up) 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 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 Witte, S.J.; Rosauro-Alcaraz, S.; McDermott, S.D.; Poulin, V.
Title (up) Dark photon dark matter in the presence of inhomogeneous structure Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Journal of High Energy Physics Abbreviated Journal J. High Energy Phys.
Volume 06 Issue 6 Pages 35pp
Keywords Cosmology of Theories beyond the SM; Thermal Field Theory
Abstract Dark photon dark matter will resonantly convert into visible photons when the dark photon mass is equal to the plasma frequency of the ambient medium. In cosmological contexts, this transition leads to an extremely efficient, albeit short-lived, heating of the surrounding gas. Existing work in this field has been predominantly focused on understanding the implications of these resonant transitions in the limit that the plasma frequency of the Universe can be treated as being perfectly homogeneous, i.e. neglecting inhomogeneities in the electron number density. In this work we focus on the implications of heating from dark photon dark matter in the presence of inhomogeneous structure (which is particularly relevant for dark photons with masses in the range 10(-15) eV less than or similar to m(A ') less than or similar to 10(-12) eV), emphasizing both the importance of inhomogeneous energy injection, as well as the sensitivity of cosmological observations to the inhomogeneities themselves. More specifically, we derive modified constraints on dark photon dark matter from the Ly-alpha forest, and show that the presence of inhomogeneities allows one to extend constraints to masses outside of the range that would be obtainable in the homogeneous limit, while only slightly relaxing their strength. We then project sensitivity for near-future cosmological surveys that are hoping to measure the 21cm transition in neutral hydrogen prior to reionization, and demonstrate that these experiments will be extremely useful in improving sensitivity to masses near similar to 10(-14) eV, potentially by several orders of magnitude. Finally, we discuss implications for reionization, early star formation, and late-time y-type spectral distortions, and show that probes which are inherently sensitive to the inhomogeneous state of the Universe could resolve signatures unique to the light dark photon dark matter scenario, and thus offer a fantastic potential for a positive detection.
Address [Witte, Samuel J.] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, Valencia, Spain, Email: Samuel.Witte@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 1029-8479 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000543433700003 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 4447
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Author Caputo, A.; Regis, M.; Taoso, M.; Witte, S.J.
Title (up) Detecting the stimulated decay of axions at radio frequencies Type Journal Article
Year 2019 Publication Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Abbreviated Journal J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.
Volume 03 Issue 3 Pages 027 - 22pp
Keywords axions; dark matter theory; dark matter detectors; dwarfs galaxies
Abstract Assuming axion-like particles account for the entirety of the dark matter in the Universe, we study the possibility of detecting their decay into photons at radio frequencies. We discuss different astrophysical targets, such as dwarf spheroidal galaxies, the Galactic Center and halo, and galaxy clusters. The presence of an ambient radiation field leads to a stimulated enhancement of the decay rate; depending on the environment and the mass of the axion, the effect of stimulated emission may amplify the photon flux by serval orders of magnitude. For axion-photon couplings allowed by astrophysical and laboratory constraints (and possibly favored by stellar cooling), we find the signal to be within the reach of next-generation radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometer Array.
Address [Caputo, Andrea; Witte, Samuel J.] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular, Apartado Correos 22085, E-46071 Valencia, Spain, Email: andrea0292@hotmail.it;
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:000461450100002 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 3944
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Author Muñoz, V.; Takhistov, V.; Witte, S.J.; Fuller, G.M.
Title (up) Exploring the origin of supermassive black holes with coherent neutrino scattering Type Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Abbreviated Journal J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.
Volume 11 Issue 11 Pages 020 - 16pp
Keywords dark matter detectors; massive stars; neutrino astronomy; neutrino detectors
Abstract Collapsing supermassive stars (M greater than or similar to 3 x 10(4) M-circle dot) at high redshifts can naturally provide seeds and explain the origin of the supermassive black holes observed in the centers of nearly all galaxies. During the collapse of supermassive stars, a burst of non-thermal neutrinos is generated with a luminosity that could greatly exceed that of a conventional core collapse supernova explosion. In this work, we investigate the extent to which the neutrinos produced in these explosions can be observed via coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS). Large scale direct dark matter detection experiments provide particularly favorable targets. We find that upcoming O(100) tonne-scale experiments will be sensitive to the collapse of individual supermassive stars at distances as large as O(10) Mpc.
Address [Munoz, Victor; Witte, Samuel J.] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, Apartado Correos 22085, E-46071 Valencia, Spain, Email: victor.manuel.munoz@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:000765985200009 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 5159
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Author Gelmini, G.B.; Takhistov, V.; Witte, S.J.
Title (up) Geoneutrinos in large direct detection experiments Type Journal Article
Year 2019 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 99 Issue 9 Pages 093009 - 11pp
Keywords
Abstract Geoneutrinos can provide a unique insight into Earth's interior, its central engine, and its formation history. We study the detection of geoneutrinos in large direct detection experiments, which has been considered nonfeasible. We compute the geoneutrino-induced electron and nuclear recoil spectra in different materials, under several optimistic assumptions. We identify germanium as the most promising target element due to the low nuclear recoil energy threshold that could be achieved. The minimum exposure required for detection would be O(10) ton-years. The realistic low thresholds achievable in germanium and silicon permit the detection of K-40 geoneutrinos. These are particularly important to determining Earth's formation history, but they are below the kinematic threshold of inverse beta decay, the detection process used in scintillator-based experiments.
Address [Gelmini, Graciela B.; Takhistov, Volodymyr] Univ Calif Los Angeles, Dept Phys & Astron, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA, Email: gelmini@physics.ucla.edu;
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:000469022000001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 4024
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Author Escudero, M.; Witte, S.J.; Hooper, D.
Title (up) 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 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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