Two component pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone-boson dark matter

TL;DR

This paper introduces a two-component pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone-boson dark matter model that naturally stabilizes the particles and allows for conversion, addressing boosted dark matter phenomena with detailed relic abundance and experimental constraints analysis.

Contribution

It presents a novel two-component pNGB dark matter framework with natural stabilization and conversion mechanisms controlled by soft-breaking parameters, without requiring ad hoc hierarchies.

Findings

The model achieves the correct relic abundance for both components.

It suppresses DM--Nucleon scattering due to pNGB nature.

The analysis includes constraints from Higgs invisible decays and unitarity.

Abstract

We study a two-component pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone-boson (pNGB) dark matter (DM) model motivated by boosted dark matter (BDM). The model is based on a complex scalar field charged under a dark $\text{U}(1)_V$ gauge symmetry, with a softly broken global $\text{SU}(3)_g$ symmetry that is spontaneously broken. The pNGB nature suppresses DM--Nucleon scattering, while the residual $\text{U}(1)_3 \times \text{U}(1)_{T_0}$ symmetry automatically stabilizes the two pNGB DM candidates and allows conversion of the heavier component into the lighter one. A central point is that the heavier or light component hierarchy is controlled by the two independent soft-breaking parameters that split the pNGB multiplet, so an abundant heavier component required for BDM can be obtained without introducing ad hoc hierarchies among independent portal coupling tuned to enable effective conversion. We analyze the relic abundance together with the constraints considered in this work, including Higgs invisible decays and perturbative unitarity, classify the coupled freeze-out dynamics, and assess the resulting BDM scattering cross section and flux.