Physics (Internal)

Resonant dark forces and small scale structure

This event is part of the HET Seminar Series.

Abstract: A dark force can impact the cosmological history of dark matter (DM), both explaining the observed cores in dwarf galaxies and setting the DM relic density through annihilation to dark force bosons.  For GeV-TeV DM mass, DM self-scattering in dwarf galaxies exhibits quantum mechanical resonances, analogous to Sommerfeld enhancements for annihilation.  We show that a simple model of DM with a dark force can accommodate all astrophysical bounds on self-interactions in haloes and explain the observed relic density, all through a single coupling constant.