A minimalistic model for inelastic dark matter

TL;DR

This paper proposes a simplified minimal model for inelastic dark matter that requires only a real scalar for mass generation, analyzing its decay channels and experimental constraints, revealing viable parameter space for dark matter masses above 100 GeV.

Contribution

It introduces a minimalistic UV-complete model for inelastic dark matter, removing the need for extra gauge fields and complex scalars traditionally used.

Findings

Unconstrained parameter regions for dark matter masses above 100 GeV.

Most viable regions involve long-lived excited states or future direct detection sensitivity.

Remaining out-of-reach regions require fine-tuned parameters.

Abstract

Models of inelastic (or pseudo-Dirac) dark matter commonly introduce a gauge symmetry spontaneously broken by the introduction of a dark sector version of the Higgs mechanism. We find that this ubiquitous introduction of two extra fields, a vector and a complex scalar boson, is indeed unnecessary, with only a mass generating real scalar field being actually required. We consider a simple UV-complete model realizing this minimal setup and study the decays of the excited dark matter state as well as constraints from perturbative unitarity, (in)direct detection and colliders. We find that, in the visible freeze-out scenario ($ \text{DM} \, \text{DM} \leftrightarrow \text{SM} \, \text{SM} $), we still have unconstrained regions of parameter space for dark matter masses $\gtrsim 100$~GeV. Moreover, most of the available regions either present long-lived excited states, which are expected to interfere with the standard cosmological history, or will be probed by future direct detection experiments, such as DARWIN, due to the unavoidable residual elastic interactions. The only regions remaining out of experimental reach present highly fine-tuned parameters.