Theoretical bounds on dark matter masses

TL;DR

This paper derives theoretical bounds on dark matter particle masses based on quantum gravity considerations, showing how these bounds depend on particle spin and interaction properties, with specific mass ranges for scalar dark matter.

Contribution

It provides the first theoretical bounds on dark matter masses considering quantum gravity effects and interaction-dependent constraints.

Findings

Scalar dark matter mass range: 10^{-3} eV to 10^{7} eV

Bounds depend on dark matter spin and interactions

Upper bound from dark matter lifetime

Abstract

In this letter, we show that quantum gravity leads to lower and upper bounds on the masses of dark matter candidates. These bounds depend on the spins of the dark matter candidates and the nature of interactions in the dark matter sector. For example, for singlet scalar dark matter, we find a mass range $10^{-3}{\rm eV} \lesssim m_\phi \lesssim 10^{7}{\rm eV}$. The lower bound comes from limits on fifth force type interactions and the upper bound from the lifetime of the dark matter candidate.