Electroweak Contributions to Thermal Gravitino Production

TL;DR

This paper calculates the rate of gravitino production in the early universe after inflation, providing insights into dark matter relic density and testing thermal leptogenesis through collider measurements.

Contribution

It offers a comprehensive finite-temperature calculation of gravitino production rates and links collider data to cosmological models of dark matter and leptogenesis.

Findings

Complete leading-order gravitino production rate derived.

Relic density of thermally produced gravitinos computed.

Potential collider test for thermal leptogenesis proposed.

Abstract

At high temperatures, gravitinos are generated in inelastic scattering processes with particles that are in thermal equilibrium with the hot primordial plasma. We consider the regeneration of gravitinos that starts with completion of reheating after inflation. Following a consistent finite-temperature approach, we provide the complete result for the gravitino production rate to leading order in the gauge couplings. Focusing on gravitino dark matter scenarios we compute the relic density of thermally produced gravitinos. Moreover, we show that a conceivable determination of the gravitino mass at future colliders will allow for a unique test of the viability of thermal leptogenesis in the laboratory.