Axion Portal to Scalar Dark Matter: Unveiling Stabilizing Symmetry Footprints
Francesco D'Eramo, Tommaso Sassi

TL;DR
This paper explores a novel scalar dark matter model mediated by an axion-like particle, revealing unique phenomenological signatures and stabilization mechanisms rooted in a non-Abelian discrete symmetry.
Contribution
It introduces a scalar dark matter scenario via an ALP portal with a global symmetry, highlighting semi-annihilation relic density and suppressed direct detection.
Findings
Relic density driven by semi-annihilations, independent of ALP-visible sector couplings.
Direct detection rates are naturally suppressed.
Indirect detection spectra are enriched and also independent of ALP-visible couplings.
Abstract
We investigate the role of an axion-like particle (ALP) as a portal between the dark and visible sectors. Unlike conventional studies, which typically assume fermionic dark matter (DM), we explore the phenomenological implications of scalar DM within this ALP portal framework. A key challenge arises from the fact that the interaction between the ALP spacetime derivative and the spin-one current of the scalar DM can be a redundant operator, which may be removed via a field redefinition. However, this interaction reveals a profound connection to the underlying global symmetry that stabilizes the DM particle. We choose a non-Abelian discrete symmetry, ensuring the persistence of the DM-ALP interactions, and in doing so, unveil a rich phenomenology. Working within a general effective field theory approach, we identify the following hallmark features of our scenario: (i) a relic density…
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