Revisiting the scotogenic model with scalar dark matter

TL;DR

This paper revisits the scotogenic model with scalar dark matter, analyzing its parameter space for relic abundance, detection constraints, and collider signatures, highlighting the potential for long-lived particle detection at colliders.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of scalar dark matter in the scotogenic model, including relic density, detection limits, and collider phenomenology, with new insights into long-lived particle signatures.

Findings

Compatible parameter space for dark matter relic abundance identified.

Potential for long-lived charged scalars or fermions detectable at colliders.

Dark matter masses below 500 GeV are consistent with all constraints.

Abstract

The scotogenic model is a well motivated scenario that provides both an explanation for neutrino masses and for dark matter. We focus on a real scalar dark matter candidate in this model, produced through standard thermal freeze-out. We analyze the parameter space of the model compatible with the observed dark matter relic abundance, direct and indirect detection searches, limits from lepton flavour violating decays and constraints from the neutrino sector. As the mass differences of the dark matter with the neutral and charged states are found to be small, the new scalars and fermions of the theory will have macroscopic lifetimes, and could thus be potentially detected with long-lived particle signatures at colliders. We find regions in the parameter space to be - partially or fully - consistent with the dark matter relic abundance, and the prediction of a long-lived charged scalar or lightest neutral fermion in the scotogenic scenario, for dark matter masses below 500 GeV. We discuss on the collider phenomenology in some detail.