# Can the ANITA anomalous events be due to new physics?

## TL;DR

This paper critically examines the possibility that new physics explains ANITA's anomalous events, highlighting challenges and proposing a specific dark matter decay model as a potential explanation.

## Contribution

It provides general arguments against most new physics explanations and identifies a unique dark matter decay scenario that could account for the observations.

## Key findings

- Most new physics models face significant challenges explaining the events.
- A metastable dark matter decay model can produce the observed signals.
- Standard Model neutrinos cannot account for the events.

## Abstract

The ANITA collaboration has observed two ultra-high-energy upgoing air shower events that cannot originate from Standard Model neutrinos that have traversed the Earth. Several beyond-the-standard-model physics scenarios have been proposed as explanations for these events. In this paper we present some general arguments making it challenging for new physics to explain the events. One exceptional class of models that could work is pointed out, in which metastable dark matter decays to a highly boosted lighter dark matter particle, that can interact in the Earth to produce the observed events.