Sub-GeV Dark Matter Shining at Future MeV Gamma-Ray Telescopes

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method to detect sub-GeV dark matter using future MeV gamma-ray telescopes, avoiding conflicts with CMB data by involving a meta-stable partner particle that decays into dark matter.

Contribution

It presents a novel framework where light dark matter is detectable without CMB conflicts, involving a meta-stable partner particle that stores and releases dark matter particles.

Findings

Framework compatible with CMB constraints

Explicit model-independent realizations provided

Constraints from CMB, BBN, and Large Scale Structure analyzed

Abstract

We propose a novel framework where light (sub-GeV) dark matter (DM) is detectable with future MeV gamma-ray telescopes without conflicting with Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) data. The stable DM particle $\chi$ has a very low thermal relic abundance due to its large pair-annihilation cross section. The DM number density is stored in a heavier, meta-stable partner $\psi$ with suppressed pair-annihilation rates, that does not perturb the CMB, and whose late-time decays $\psi \rightarrow \chi$ fill the universe with $\chi$ DM particles. We provide explicit, model-independent realizations for this framework, and discuss constraints on late-time decays, and thus on parameters of this setup, from CMB, Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, and Large Scale Structure.