Dark Matter meets Quantum Gravity

TL;DR

This paper explores how quantum gravity constraints influence dark matter models, deriving specific mass bounds for scalar and fermionic dark matter candidates within an asymptotically safe quantum field theory framework.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach linking asymptotic safety in quantum gravity to dark matter model constraints, providing explicit mass bounds and benchmark scenarios.

Findings

Scalar dark matter mass between 56 and 63 GeV

Fermionic dark matter mass up to 50 TeV

Three benchmark scenarios with distinct phenomenology

Abstract

We search for an extension of the Standard Model that contains a viable dark matter candidate and that can be embedded into a fundamental, asymptotically safe, quantum field theory with quantum gravity. Demanding asymptotic safety leads to boundary conditions for the non-gravitational couplings at the Planck scale. For a given dark matter model these translate into constraints on the mass of the dark matter candidate. We derive constraints on the dark matter mass and couplings in two minimal dark matter models: i) scalar dark matter coupled via the Higgs-portal in the $B$-$L$ model; ii) fermionic dark matter in a $U(1)_X$ extension of the Standard Model, coupled via the new gauge boson. For scalar dark matter we find 56 GeV $ < M_\text{DM} < 63$ GeV, and for fermionic dark matter $M_\text{DM} \leq 50$ TeV. Within our framework, we identify three benchmark scenarios with distinct phenomenological consequences.