The Heavy Dark Photon Handbook: Cosmological and Astrophysical Bounds

TL;DR

This paper derives updated cosmological and astrophysical constraints on dark photons with masses from 0.1 to 1000 MeV, considering their production in the early universe and supernovae, and analyzing observational signatures.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive analysis of cosmological and supernova bounds on dark photons within the minimal reheating temperature framework, updating previous constraints.

Findings

Constraints from CMB spectrum and light element abundances.

Limits from gamma-ray flux observations.

Bounds from supernova cooling and positron injection.

Abstract

We investigate cosmological and astrophysical constraints on dark photons with masses $\sim 10^{-1}$-$10^3$ MeV. These dark photons can be copiously produced either in the early universe or during core-collapse supernovae, potentially leaving distinct observational signatures. First, we derive updated constraints from cosmological and astrophysical observables that rely on the thermal relic abundance of dark photons, including the CMB spectrum, primordial light element abundances, and galactic/extragalactic gamma-ray flux. We consider the minimal reheating temperature possible, $T_{\rm RH} = 6 \, \rm MeV$, such that our constraints are conservative, but unavoidable within the minimal dark photon model. Then, for supernova-sourced dark photons, we systematically examine all relevant observational bounds, revisit the standard cooling argument and derive limits from other arguments such as fireball formation, low energy supernovae and galactic positron injection.