Related papers: Particle Physics Approach to Dark Matter
We review the status of axino dark matter. Two hierarchy problems, the strong CP problem and the gauge hierarchy problem, have led to introducing into particle physics a spontaneously broken global Peccei-Quinn symmetry and a softly broken…
We study the possibility of mixed dark matter obtained through the phase space distribution of a single particle. An example is offered in the context of SUSY models with a Peccei-Quinn symmetry. Axinos in the 100 keV range can naturally…
After a short review of the arguments for the existence of Particle Dark Matter in the Universe, I list the most plausible candidates provided by particle physics, i.e. neutrinos, axions, and WIMPs. In each case I briefly describe how to…
The identity of dark matter is one of the greatest puzzles of our Universe. Its solution may be associated with supersymmetry which is a fundamental space-time symmetry that has not been verified experimentally so far. In many…
Several ideas for new physics beyond the standard model may provide particle candidates for the dark matter in the Galactic halo. The two leading candidates are an axion and a weakly-interacting massive particle (WIMP), such as the…
The axino is the fermionic superpartner of the axion. Assuming the axino is the lightest supersymmetric particle and stable due to R-parity conservation, we compute the relic axino density from thermal reactions in the early Universe. From…
We consider non-standard cosmological models in which the late decay of a scalar field $\phi$ reheats the Universe to a low reheating temperature, between 5 MeV and the standard freeze-out temperature of neutralinos of mass $m_{\chi}$. We…
Dark matter is presumably made of some new, exotic particle that appears in extensions of the Standard Model. After giving a brief overview of some popular candidates, I discuss in more detail the most appealing case of the supersymmetric…
The Peccei-Quinn mechanism presents a neat solution to the strong CP problem. As a by-product, it provides an ideal dark matter candidate, "the axion", albeit with a tiny mass. Axions therefore can act as dark radiation if excited with…
If the energy density of the Universe before nucleosynthesis is dominated by a scalar field $\phi$ that decays and reheats the plasma to a low reheating temperature $T_{RH}$, neutralinos may be warm dark matter particles. We study this…
Non-universal boundary conditions in grand unified theories can lead to non-universal gaugino masses at the unification scale. In R-parity preserving theories the lightest supersymmetric particle is a natural candidate for the dark matter.…
A new scheme for lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) dark matter is introduced and studied in theories of TeV supersymmetry with a QCD axion, $a$, and a high reheat temperature after inflation, $T_R$. A large overproduction of axinos…
The Kim-Nilles mechanism relates the $\mu$ term with the axion scale $f_a$, leading to the axino-Higgsino-Higgs Yukawa coupling of order $\mu/f_a$. This can bring a dangerous thermal production of axinos. If the axino is stable, its mass…
In theories with a gauge-mediated mechanism of supersymmetry breaking the gravitino is likely to be the lightest superparticle and, hence, a candidate for dark matter. We show that the decay of the next-to-lightest superparticle into a…
There is plenty of evidence that most matter in the Universe is dark (non-luminous). Particle physics offers several possible explanations. In this talk I focus on cold dark matter; the most promising candidates are then axions and the…
Preferred axion models are minimal realizations of the Peccei-Quinn solution to the strong CP problem while providing a dark matter candidate. These models invoke new heavy quarks that interact strongly with the Standard Model bringing them…
The cosmological relic density of the lightest supersymmetric particle of the minimal supersymmetric standard model is calculated under the assumption of gauge and Yukawa coupling unification. We employ radiative electroweak breaking with…
We investigate the production of neutralino dark matter in a cosmological scenario featuring an early matter dominated era ending at a relatively low reheating temperature. In such scenarios different production mechanisms of weakly…
We calculate the relic abundance of mixed axion/neutralino cold dark matter which arises in R-parity conserving supersymmetric (SUSY) models wherein the strong CP problem is solved by the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) mechanism with a concommitant…
I give a short overview on some of the favorite particle Cold Dark Matter candidates today, focusing on those having detectable interactions: the axion, the KK-photon in Universal Extra Dimensions, the heavy photon in Little Higgs and the…