Bozorgnia, N., Herrero-Garcia, J., Schwetz, T., & Zupan, J. (2013). Halo-independent methods for inelastic dark matter scattering. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 07(7), 049–15pp.
Abstract: We present halo-independent methods to analyze the results of dark matter direct detection experiments assuming inelastic scattering. We focus on the annual modulation signal reported by DAMA/LIBRA and present three different halo-independent tests. First, we compare it to the upper limit on the unmodulated rate from XENON100 using (a) the trivial requirement that the amplitude of the annual modulation has to be smaller than the bound on the unmodulated rate, and (b) a bound on the annual modulation amplitude based on an expansion in the Earth's velocity. The third test uses the special predictions of the signal shape for inelastic scattering and allows for an internal consistency check of the data without referring to any astrophysics. We conclude that a strong conflict between DAMA/LIBRA and XENON100 in the framework of spin-independent inelastic scattering can be established independently of the local properties of the dark matter halo.
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Capozziello, S., Harko, T., Koivisto, T. S., Lobo, F. S. N., & Olmo, G. J. (2013). The virial theorem and the dark matter problem in hybrid metric-Palatini gravity. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 07(7), 024–19pp.
Abstract: Hybrid metric-Palatini gravity is a recently proposed theory, consisting of the superposition of the metric Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian with an f(R) term constructed a la Palatini. The theory predicts the existence of a long-range scalar field, which passes the Solar System observational constraints, even if the scalar field is very light, and modifies the cosmological and galactic dynamics. Thus, the theory opens new possibilities to approach, in the same theoretical framework, the problems of both dark energy and dark matter. In this work, we consider the generalized virial theorem in the scalar-tensor representation of the hybrid metric-Palatini gravity. More specifically, taking into account the relativistic collisionless Boltzmann equation, we show that the supplementary geometric terms in the gravitational field equations provide an effective contribution to the gravitational potential energy. We show that the total virial mass is proportional to the effective mass associated with the new terms generated by the effective scalar field, and the baryonic mass. In addition to this, we also consider astrophysical applications of the model and show that the model predicts that the mass associated to the scalar field and its effects extend beyond the virial radius of the clusters of galaxies. In the context of the galaxy cluster velocity dispersion profiles predicted by the hybrid metric-Palatini model, the generalized virial theorem can be an efficient tool in observationally testing the viability of this class of generalized gravity models.
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Lobo, F. S. N., Olmo, G. J., & Rubiera-Garcia, D. (2013). Semiclassical geons as solitonic black hole remnants. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 07(7), 011–10pp.
Abstract: We find that the end state of black hole evaporation could be represented by non-singular and without event horizon stable solitonic remnants with masses of the order the Planck scale and up to similar to 16 units of charge. Though these objects are locally indistinguishable from spherically symmetric, massive electric (or magnetic) charges, they turn out to be sourceless geons containing a wormhole generated by the electromagnetic field. Our results are obtained by interpreting semiclassical corrections to Einstein's theory in the first-order (Palatini) formalism, which yields second-order equations and avoids the instabilities of the usual (metric) formulation of quadratic gravity. We also discuss the potential relevance of these solutions for primordial black holes and the dark matter problem.
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Lopez-Honorez, L., Mena, O., Palomares-Ruiz, S., & Vincent, A. C. (2013). Constraints on dark matter annihilation from CMB observations before Planck. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 07(7), 046–26pp.
Abstract: We compute the bounds on the dark matter (DM) annihilation cross section using the most recent Cosmic Microwave Background measurements from WMAP9, SPT'11 and ACT'10. We consider DM with mass in the MeV-TeV range annihilating 100% into either an e(+)e(-) or a mu(+)mu(-) pair. We consider a realistic energy deposition model, which includes the dependence on the redshift, DM mass and annihilation channel. We exclude the canonical thermal relic abundance cross section (<sigma nu > = 3 x 10(-26) cm(3)s(-1)) for DM masses below 30 GeV and 15 GeV for the e(+)e(-) and mu(+)mu(-) channels, respectively. A priori, DM annihilating in halos could also modify the reionization history of the Universe at late times. We implement a realistic halo model taken from results of state-of-the-art N-body simulations and consider a mixed reionization mechanism, consisting on reionization from DM as well as from first stars. We find that the constraints on DM annihilation remain unchanged, even when large uncertainties on the halo model parameters are considered.
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Aristizabal Sierra, D., Tortola, M., Valle, J. W. F., & Vicente, A. (2014). Leptogenesis with a dynamical seesaw scale. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 07(7), 052–20pp.
Abstract: In the simplest type-I seesaw leptogenesis scenario right-handed neutrino annihilation processes are absent. However, in the presence of new interactions these processes are possible and can affect the resulting B – L asymmetry in an important way. A prominent example is provided by models with spontaneous lepton number violation, where the existence of new dynamical degrees of freedom can play a crucial role. In this context, we provide a model-independent discussion of the effects of right-handed neutrino annihilations. We show that in the weak washout regime, as long as the scattering processes remain slow compared with the Hubble expansion rate throughout the relevant temperature range, the efficiency can be largely enhanced, reaching in some cases maximal values. Moreover, the B – L asymmetry yield turns out to be independent upon initial conditions, in contrast to the “standard” case. On the other hand, when the annihilation processes are fast, the right-handed neutrino distribution tends to a thermal one down to low temperatures, implying a drastic suppression of the efficiency which in some cases can render the B – L generation mechanism inoperative.
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