A Model of Interacting Dark Matter and Dark Radiation for $H_{0}$ and $\sigma_{8}$ Tensions

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new dark sector model with interacting dark matter and dark radiation, aiming to resolve the Hubble and sigma_8 tensions by introducing a natural gauge-theoretic framework without new scalars.

Contribution

It introduces a novel dark sector model based on a hidden SU(5)×U(1) gauge group with massless fermions, addressing cosmological tensions through specific interactions and parameters.

Findings

Model can resolve H0 and sigma_8 tensions with appropriate parameters.

Dark sector interactions are mediated by a U(1)_X gauge field.

Parameter space identified for gauge coupling, dark matter mass, and temperature ratio.

Abstract

We present a model describing the dark sector (DS) featured by two interactions remaining efficient until late times in the matter-dominated era after recombination: the interaction among dark radiations (DR), and the interaction between a small fraction of dark matter and dark radiation. The dark sector consists of (1) a dominant component cold collisionless DM (DM1), (2) a sub-dominant cold DM (DM2) and (3) a self-interacting DR. When a sufficient amount of DR is ensured and a few percent of the total DM density is contributed by DM2 interacting with DR, this set-up is known to be able to resolve both the Hubble and $\sigma_{8}$ tension. In light of this, we propose a scenario which is logically natural and has an intriguing theoretical structure with a hidden unbroken gauge group ${\rm SU}(5)_{\rm X}\otimes {\rm U}(1)_{\rm X}$. Our model of the dark sector does not introduce any new scalar field, but contains only massless chiral fermions and gauge fields in the ultraviolet (UV) regime. As such, it introduces a new scale (DM2 mass, $m_{\rm DM2}$) based on the confinement resulting from the strong dynamics of ${\rm SU}(5)_{\rm X}$. Both DM2-DR and DR-DR interactions are attributed to an identical long range interaction of ${\rm U}(1)_{\rm X}$. We show that our model can address the cosmological tensions when it is characterized by $g_{\rm X}=\mathcal{O}(10^{-3})-\mathcal{O}(10^{-2})$, $m_{\rm DM2}=\mathcal{O}(1)-\mathcal{O}(100){\rm GeV}$ and $T_{\rm DS}/T_{\rm SM}\simeq0.3-0.4$ where $g_{\rm X}$ is the gauge coupling of ${\rm U}(1)_{\rm X}$ and $T_{\rm DS}$ ($T_{\rm SM}$) is a temperature of the DS (Standard Model sector). Our model explains candidates of DM2 and DR, and DM1 can be any kind of CDM.