Heavy Dark Matter, Neutrino Masses and Higgs Naturalness from a Strongly Interacting Hidden Sector

TL;DR

This paper explores a model extending the Standard Model with a strongly interacting hidden sector, right-handed neutrinos, and a scalar singlet, aiming to explain neutrino masses, dark matter, and Higgs naturalness through interconnected mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces a novel scenario combining a hidden QCD-like sector with right-handed neutrinos and a scalar singlet, analyzing dark matter production via freeze-in and its implications for neutrino masses and baryogenesis.

Findings

Dark matter can be produced via freeze-in at high temperatures.

Nambu-Goldstone bosons serve as dark matter candidates.

The model can generate the observed baryon asymmetry.

Abstract

We consider the extension of the Standard Model (SM) with a strongly interacting QCD-like hidden sector, at least two generations of right-handed neutrinos and one scalar singlet. Once scalar singlet obtains a nonzero vacuum expectation value, active neutrino masses are generated through type-I seesaw mechanism. Simultaneously, the electroweak scale is generated through the radiative corrections involving these massive fermions. This is the essence of the scenario that is known as the "neutrino option" for which the successful masses of right-handed neutrinos are in the range $10^7-10^8$ GeV. The main goal of this work is to scrutinize the potential to accommodate dark matter in such a realization. The dark matter candidates are Nambu-Goldstone bosons which appear due to the dynamical breaking of the hidden chiral symmetry. The mass spectrum studied in this work is such that masses of Nambu-Goldstone bosons and singlet scalar exceed those of right-handed neutrinos. Having the masses of all relevant particles several orders of magnitude above $\mathcal{O}$(TeV), the freeze-out of dark matter is not achievable and hence we turn to alternative scenarios, namely freeze-in. The Nambu-Goldstone bosons can interact with particles that are not in SM but, however, have non-negligible abundance through their not-too-small couplings with SM. Utilizing this, we demonstrate that the dark matter in the model is successfully produced at temperature scale where the right-handed neutrinos are still stable. We note that the lepton number asymmetry sufficient for the generation of observable baryon asymmetry of the Universe can be produced in right-handed neutrino decays. Hence, we infer that the model has the potential to simultaneously address several of the most relevant puzzles in contemporary high-energy physics.