General Analysis of Dark Radiation in Sequestered String Models

TL;DR

This paper analyzes axionic dark radiation from modulus decay in sequestered string models, showing how decay channels and loop corrections influence dark radiation predictions and their compatibility with experimental bounds.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of dark radiation production in various sequestered LARGE Volume Scenario models, including effects of loop corrections and scalar masses.

Findings

Decay channels depend on the Kahler metric and vacuum mechanism.

In split SUSY-like models, decay to scalars is often kinematically forbidden.

String loop corrections can open decay channels, reducing dark radiation.

Abstract

We perform a general analysis of axionic dark radiation produced from the decay of the lightest modulus in the sequestered LARGE Volume Scenario. We discuss several cases depending on the form of the Kahler metric for visible sector matter fields and the mechanism responsible for achieving a de Sitter vacuum. The leading decay channels which determine dark radiation predictions are to hidden sector axions, visible sector Higgses and SUSY scalars depending on their mass. We show that in most of the parameter space of split SUSY-like models squarks and sleptons are heavier than the lightest modulus. Hence dark radiation predictions previously obtained for MSSM-like cases hold more generally also for split SUSY-like cases since the decay channel to SUSY scalars is kinematically forbidden. However the inclusion of string loop corrections to the Kahler potential gives rise to a parameter space region where the decay channel to SUSY scalars opens up, leading to a significant reduction of dark radiation production. In this case, the simplest model with a shift-symmetric Higgs sector can suppress the excess of dark radiation $\Delta N_{eff}$ to values as small as 0.14, in perfect agreement with current experimental bounds. Depending on the exact mass of the SUSY scalars all values in the range 0.14 $\lesssim \Delta N_{eff} \lesssim$ 1.6 are allowed. Interestingly dark radiation overproduction can be avoided also in the absence of a Giudice-Masiero coupling.