Photonic Freeze-In

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel dark matter production mechanism called photonic freeze-in, where dark matter is generated solely through photon annihilation, with implications for cosmology and experimental detection.

Contribution

It proposes a new freeze-in scenario involving photon annihilation and explores its phenomenological and cosmological implications, including potential detection methods.

Findings

Photonic freeze-in can produce observable dark matter signals.

The scenario is compatible with low reheat temperature cosmologies.

Potential detection via direct detection, supernova observations, and collider experiments.

Abstract

We present a new scenario of freeze-in, where the dark matter is produced exclusively via the annihilation of photons. We study fermionic and scalar dark matter models with a focus on cosmological histories with low reheat temperatures. Photonic freeze-in can be probed via direct detection, dark matter production in SN1987A, and via the production of new electromagnetically charged states at the Large Hadron Collider. We briefly discuss UV-complete models that can realise this scenario.