Dark Matter from self-dual gauge/Higgs dynamics

TL;DR

This paper explores how certain gauge theories with scalar fields naturally produce stable dark matter candidates, with unique phenomenological features depending on the gauge group, and discusses their cosmological implications.

Contribution

It provides a general criterion for self-duality in various gauge theories with scalars, leading to novel dark matter candidates with distinctive stability mechanisms.

Findings

SU(N) has an accidental dark baryon number

SO(2N+1) yields stable glue-balls due to parity

G_2 leads to a neutral kaon-like dark matter system

Abstract

We show that a new gauge group with one new scalar leads to automatically stable Dark Matter candidates. We consider theories where the Higgs phase is dual to the confined phase: it is known that SU(2) gauge theories with a scalar doublet (like the Standard Model) obey this non-trivial feature. We provide a general criterion, showing that this self-duality holds for SU(N), SO(N), Sp(N) and G_2 gauge dynamics with a scalar field in the fundamental representation. The resulting Dark Matter phenomenology has non-trivial features that are characteristic of the group, and that we discuss case by case. Just to mention a few, SU(N) has an accidental conserved dark baryon number, SO(2N+1) leads to stable glue-balls thanks to a special parity, G_2 leads to a Dark Matter system analogous to neutral kaons. The cosmological Dark Matter abundance is often reproduced for masses around 100 TeV: all constraints are satisfied and lighter dark glue-balls can affect Higgs physics. These theories acquire additional interest and predictivity assuming that both the dark and weak scales are dynamically generated.