Non-Abelian family symmetries as portals to dark matter

TL;DR

This paper investigates models where dark matter fermions are linked to the Standard Model via non-Abelian family symmetries and familons, predicting testable collider signatures at the LHC.

Contribution

It introduces models connecting dark matter to non-Abelian family symmetries, highlighting the potential for light familons and fermions accessible at current collider energies.

Findings

Dark matter fermions and familons can have masses below 1 TeV.

Run I of the LHC already tests these models.

Characteristic collider signatures from light familons are predicted.

Abstract

Non-Abelian family symmetries offer a very promising explanation for the flavour structure in the Standard Model and its extensions. We explore the possibility that dark matter consists in fermions that transform under a family symmetry, such that the visible and dark sector are linked by the familons - Standard Model gauge singlet scalars, responsible for spontaneously breaking the family symmetry. We study three representative models with non-Abelian family symmetries that have been shown capable to explain the masses and mixing of the Standard Model fermions. One of our central results is the possibility to have dark matter fermions and at least one familon with masses on and even below the experimentally accessible TeV scale. In particular we discuss the characteristic signatures in collider experiments from light familon Fields with a non-Abelian family symmetry, and we show that run I of the LHC is already testing this class of models.