Dark sector portal with vector-like leptons and flavor sequestering

TL;DR

This paper proposes a model where vector-like leptons act as a portal between dark matter and the standard model, enabling dark matter annihilation while avoiding flavor violation, and discusses its phenomenological implications.

Contribution

It introduces a renormalizable dark SU(2) gauge model with flavor sequestering via discrete symmetry, facilitating dark matter interactions without violating lepton flavor constraints.

Findings

Achieves correct dark matter relic density through flavor-specific annihilation

Identifies a discrete symmetry that prevents unwanted lepton flavor mixing

Discusses potential for direct detection of dark matter

Abstract

We consider models with fermionic dark matter that transforms under a non-Abelian dark gauge group. Exotic, vector-like leptons that also transform under the dark gauge group can mix with standard model leptons after spontaneous symmetry breaking and serve as a portal between the dark and visible sectors. We show in an explicit, renormalizable model based on a dark SU(2) gauge group how this can lead to adequate dark matter annihilation to a standard model lepton flavor so that the correct relic density is obtained. We identify a discrete symmetry that allows mass mixing between the vector-like fermions and a single standard model lepton flavor, while preventing mixing between these fields and the remaining standard model leptons. This flavor sequestering avoids unwanted lepton-flavor-violating effects, substantially relaxing constraints on the mass scale of the vector-like states. We discuss aspects of the phenomenology of the model, including direct detection of the dark matter.