English

Sterile Neutrino Dark Matter and Low Scale Leptogenesis from a Charged Scalar

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology 2015-06-22 v2

Abstract

We show that novel paths to dark matter generation and baryogenesis are open when the Standard Model is extended with three sterile neutrinos NiN_i and a charged scalar δ+\delta^+. Specifically, we propose a new production mechanism for the dark matter particle --a multi-keV sterile neutrino, N1N_1-- that does not depend on the active-sterile mixing angle and does not rely on a large primordial lepton asymmetry. Instead, N1N_1 is produced, via freeze-in, by the decays of δ+\delta^+ while it is in equilibrium in the early Universe. In addition, we demonstrate that, thanks to the couplings between the heavier sterile neutrinos N2,3N_{2,3} and δ+\delta^+, baryogenesis via leptogenesis can be realized close to the electroweak scale. The lepton asymmetry is generated either by N2,3N_{2,3}-decays for masses M2,3M_{2,3}\gtrsim TeV, or by N2,3N_{2,3}-oscillations for M2,3M_{2,3}\sim GeV. Experimental signatures of this scenario include an X-ray line from dark matter decays, and the direct production of δ+\delta^+ at the LHC. This model thus describes a minimal, testable scenario for neutrino masses, the baryon asymmetry, and dark matter.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1409.0659,
  title  = {Sterile Neutrino Dark Matter and Low Scale Leptogenesis from a Charged Scalar},
  author = {Michele Frigerio and Carlos E. Yaguna},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1409.0659},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

15 pages v2: minor clarifications and additional references