Abstract: We attempt to clarify several aspects concerning the recently presented four-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity. We argue that the limiting procedure outlined in [Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 081301 (2020)] generally involves ill-defined terms in the four dimensional field equations. Potential ways to circumvent this issue are discussed, alongside remarks regarding specific solutions of the theory. We prove that, although linear perturbations are well behaved around maximally symmetric backgrounds, the equations for second-order perturbations are ill-defined even around a Minkowskian background. Additionally, we perform a detailed analysis of the spherically symmetric solutions and find that the central curvature singularity can be reached within a finite proper time.

Abstract: Scalar hair of black holes in theories with a shift symmetry are constrained by the no-hair theorem of Hui and Nicolis, assuming spherical symmetry, time-independence of the scalar field and asymptotic flatness. The most studied counterexample is a linear coupling of the scalar with the Gauss-Bonnet invariant. However, in this case the norm of the shift-symmetry current J(2) diverges at the horizon casting doubts on whether the solution is physically sound. We show that this is not an issue since J(2) is not a scalar quantity, since J(mu) is not a diffinvariant current in the presence of Gauss-Bonnet. The same theory can be written in Horndeski form with a non-analytic function G(5)similar to log X . In this case the shift-symmetry current is diff-invariant, but contains powers of X in the denominator, so that its divergence at the horizon is again immaterial. We confirm that other hairy solutions in the presence of non-analytic Horndeski functions are pathological, featuring divergences of physical quantities as soon as one departs from time-independence and spherical symmetry. We generalise the no-hair theorem to Beyond Horndeski and DHOST theories, showing that the coupling with Gauss-Bonnet is necessary to have hair.

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.

Abstract: The stringent experimental bound on μ-> e gamma is compatible with a simultaneous and sizable new physics contribution to the electron and muon anomalous magnetic moments (g – 2)(l) (l = e, mu), only if we assume a non-trivial flavor structure of the dipole operator coefficients. We propose a mechanism in which the realization of the (g – 2)(l) correction is manifestly related to the mass generation through a flavor symmetry. A radiative flavon correction to the fermion mass gives a contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment. In this framework, we introduce a chiral enhancement from a non-trivial O(1) quartic coupling of the scalar potential. We show that the muon and electron anomalies can be simultaneously explained in a vast region of the parameter space with predicted vector-like mediators of masses as large as M chi is an element of [0.6, 2.5] TeV.

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.