Decaying warm dark matter and neutrino masses

TL;DR

This paper explores how a massive majoron, arising from neutrino mass models with spontaneous lepton number breaking, can serve as decaying dark matter consistent with cosmic microwave background constraints.

Contribution

It determines the mass and lifetime parameters for the majoron as dark matter, linking neutrino mass generation to cosmological observations.

Findings

Majoron can be viable decaying dark matter within CMB constraints

Models with seesaw neutrino masses naturally incorporate the majoron dark matter scenario

Potential cosmological implications of majoron dark matter are discussed

Abstract

Neutrino masses may arise from spontaneous breaking of ungauged lepton number. Due to quantum gravity effects the associated Goldstone boson - the majoron - will pick up a mass. We determine the lifetime and mass required by cosmic microwave background observations so that the massive majoron provides the observed dark matter of the Universe. The majoron DDM scenario fits nicely in models where neutrino masses arise a la seesaw, and may lead to other possible cosmological implications.