Protophobic Light Vector Boson as a Mediator to the Dark Sector

TL;DR

This paper explores a proposed 16.7 MeV protophobic vector boson as a mediator between the Standard Model and dark matter, presenting models consistent with experimental bounds and addressing small-scale structure issues.

Contribution

It introduces simple dark matter models mediated by the protophobic boson that satisfy relic abundance and experimental constraints while solving small-scale structure problems.

Findings

Models satisfy current direct and indirect detection bounds.

Achieves appropriate self-scattering cross section for small-scale structure.

Compatible with the observed 16.7 MeV protophobic boson signal.

Abstract

The observation of a protophobic 16.7 MeV vector boson has been reported by a $^8$Be nuclear transition experiment. Such a new particle could mediate between the Standard Model and a dark sector, which includes the dark matter. In this paper, we show some simple models of the dark matter which satisfy the thermal relic abundance under the current experimental bounds from the direct and the indirect detections. In a model, it is found that an appropriate self-scattering cross section to solve the small scale structure puzzles can be achieved.