A new way to test the WIMP dark matter models

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new method to test WIMP dark matter models by analyzing the effects of a weak interaction between dark energy and WIMP DM on relic density, using cosmological data to constrain model parameters.

Contribution

It introduces a phenomenological interaction model between dark energy and WIMP DM and demonstrates how cosmological observations can test and constrain WIMP DM properties.

Findings

Cosmological data constrains the interaction parameter γ_DM to small values.

Relic density magnification depends on the interaction parameter γ_DM.

Different datasets provide conflicting constraints on WIMP DM models.

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the possibility of testing the weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter (DM) models by applying the simplest phenomenological model which introduces an interaction term between dark energy (DE) and WIMP DM, i.e., $Q = 3\gamma_{DM} H\rho_{DM}$. In general, the coupling strength $\gamma_{DE}$ is close to $0$ as the interaction between DE and WIMP DM is very weak, thus the effect of $\gamma_ {DE}$ on the evolution of $Y$ associated with DM energy density can be safely neglected. Meanwhile, our numerical calculation also indicates that $x_f\approx20$ is associated with DM freeze-out temperature, which is the same as the vanishing interaction scenario. As for DM relic density, it will be magnified by $\frac{2-3\gamma_{DM}}{2}[{2\pi g_* m_{DM}^3}/{(45 s_0 x_f^3})]^{\gamma_{DM}}$ times, which provides a new way to test WIMP DM models. As an example, we analyze the case in which WIMP DM is a scalar DM. (SGL+SNe+Hz) and (CMB+BAO+SNe) cosmological observations will give $\gamma_{DM}=0.134^{+0.17}_{-0.069}$ and $\gamma_{DM}=-0.0008\pm0.0016$, respectively. After further considering the constraints from DM direct detection experiment, DM indirect detection experiment, and DM relic density, we find that the allowed parameter space of the scalar DM model will be completely excluded for the former cosmological observations, while it will increase for the latter ones. Those two cosmological observations lead to an almost paradoxical conclusion. Therefore, one could expect more stringent constraints on the WMIP DM models, with the accumulation of more accurate cosmological observations in the near future.