The Little Skyrmion: New Dark Matter for Little Higgs Models

TL;DR

This paper investigates skyrmions within the littlest Higgs model as potential dark matter candidates, demonstrating their stability, solutions, and compatibility with observed dark matter density.

Contribution

It introduces stable skyrmion solutions in the littlest Higgs model without requiring exact parity symmetry, expanding dark matter candidate possibilities.

Findings

Stable skyrmions exist without exact parity symmetry.

Gauge fields impose an upper bound on skyrmion mass.

Relic abundance matches observed dark matter density.

Abstract

We study skyrmions in the littlest Higgs model and discuss their possible role as dark matter candidates. Stable massive skyrmions can exist in the littlest Higgs model also in absence of an exact parity symmetry, since they carry a conserved topological charge due to the non-trivial third homotopy group of the SU(5)/SO(5) coset. We find a spherically symmetric skyrmion solution in this coset. The effects of gauge fields on the skyrmion solutions are analyzed and found to lead to an upper bound on the skyrmion mass. The relic abundance is in agreement with the observed dark matter density for reasonable parameter choices.