English

Simplified Models of Mixed Dark Matter

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology 2014-02-12 v1 Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Abstract

We explore simplified models of mixed dark matter (DM), defined here to be a stable relic composed of a singlet and an electroweak charged state. Our setup describes a broad spectrum of thermal DM candidates that can naturally accommodate the observed DM abundance but are subject to substantial constraints from current and upcoming direct detection experiments. We identify "blind spots" at which the DM-Higgs coupling is identically zero, thus nullifying direct detection constraints on spin independent scattering. Furthermore, we characterize the fine-tuning in mixing angles, i.e. well-tempering, required for thermal freeze-out to accommodate the observed abundance. Present and projected limits from LUX and XENON1T force many thermal relic models into blind spot tuning, well-tempering, or both. This simplified model framework generalizes bino-Higgsino DM in the MSSM, singlino-Higgsino DM in the NMSSM, and scalar DM candidates that appear in models of extended Higgs sectors.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1311.5896,
  title  = {Simplified Models of Mixed Dark Matter},
  author = {Clifford Cheung and David Sanford},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1311.5896},
  year   = {2014}
}

Comments

42 pages, 19 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-22T02:13:22.091Z