Dark matter self-interactions have important implications for the distributions of dark matter in the Universe, from dwarf galaxies to galaxy clusters. We present benchmark models that illustrate characteristic features of dark matter that is self-interacting through a new light mediator. These models have self-interactions large enough to change dark matter densities in the centers of galaxies in accord with observations, while remaining compatible with large-scale structure data and all astrophysical observations such as halo shapes and the Bullet Cluster. These observations favor a mediator mass in the 10 - 100 MeV range and large regions of this parameter space are accessible to direct detection experiments like LUX, SuperCDMS, and XENON1T.

Manoj Kaplinghat Sean Tulin Hai-Bo Yu

Dark matter self-interactions can affect the small scale structure of the Universe, reducing the central densities of dwarfs and low surface brightness galaxies in accord with observations. From a particle physics point of view, this points toward the existence of a 1-100 MeV particle in the dark sector that mediates self-interactions. Since mediator particles will generically couple to the Standard Model, direct detection experiments provide sensitive probes of self-interacting dark matter. We consider three minimal mechanisms for coupling the dark and visible sectors: photon kinetic mixing, Z boson mass mixing, and the Higgs portal. Self-interacting dark matter motivates a new benchmark paradigm for direct detection via momentum-dependent interactions, and ton-scale experiments will cover astrophysically motivated parameter regimes that are unconstrained by current limits. Direct detection is a complementary avenue to constrain velocity-dependent self-interactions that evade astrophysical bounds from larger scales, such as those from the Bullet Cluster.

Manoj Kaplinghat Sean Tulin Hai-Bo Yu

We compute supersymmetric contributions to pion leptonic (\pi_{l2}) decays in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). When R-parity is conserved, the largest contributions to the ratio R_{e/\mu} = \Gamma[ \pi^+ \to e^+ \nu_e(\gamma)]/\Gamma[ \pi^+ \to \mu^+ \nu_\mu(\gamma)] arise from one-loop (V-A)x(V-A) corrections. These contributions can be potentially as large as the sensitivities of upcoming experiments; if measured, they would imply significant bounds on the chargino and slepton sectors complementary to current collider limits. We also analyze R-parity violating interactions, which may produce a detectable deviation in R_{e/\mu} while remaining consistent with all other precision observables.

Michael Ramsey-Musolf Shufang Su Sean Tulin

We study electroweak baryogenesis and electric dipole moments in the presence of the two leading-order, non-renormalizable operators in the Higgs sector of the MSSM. Significant qualitative and quantitative differences from MSSM baryogenesis arise due to the presence of new CP-violating phases and to the relaxation of constraints on the supersymmetric spectrum (in particular, both stops can be light). We find: (1) spontaneous baryogenesis, driven by a change in the phase of the Higgs vevs across the bubble wall, becomes possible; (2) the top and stop CP-violating sources can become effective; (3) baryogenesis is viable in larger parts of parameter space, alleviating the well-known fine-tuning associated with MSSM baryogenesis. Nevertheless, electric dipole moments should be measured if experimental sensitivities are improved by about one order of magnitude.

Kfir Blum Cedric Delaunay Marta Losada Yosef Nir Sean Tulin

New GeV-scale dark forces coupling predominantly to quarks offer novel signatures that can be produced directly and searched for at high-luminosity colliders. We compute the photon-proton and electron-proton cross sections for producing a GeV-scale gauge boson arising from a $U(1)_B$ gauge symmetry. Our calculation relies on vector meson dominance and a phenomenological model for diffractive scattering used for vector-meson photoproduction. The parameters of our phenomenological model are fixed by performing a Markov Chain Monte Carlo fit to existing exclusive photoproduction data for $\omega$ and $\phi$ mesons. Our approach can be generalized to other GeV-scale dark gauge forces.

Safa Ben Othman Armita Jalooli Sean Tulin

SU(2) gauge theory with a single fermion in the fundamental representation is a minimal non-Abelian candidate for the dark matter sector, which is presently missing from the standard model. Having only a single flavor provides a natural mechanism for stabilizing dark matter on cosmological timescales. Preliminary lattice results are presented and discussed in the context of dark matter phenomenology.

Anthony Francis Renwick James Hudspith Randy Lewis Sean Tulin

Dark matter (DM) self-interactions have important implications for the formation and evolution of structure, from dwarf galaxies to clusters of galaxies. We study the dynamics of self-interacting DM via a light mediator, focusing on the quantum resonant regime where the scattering cross section has a non-trivial velocity dependence. While there are long-standing indications that observations of small scale structure in the Universe are not in accord with the predictions of collisionless DM, theoretical study and simulations of DM self-interactions have focused on parameter regimes with simple analytic solutions for the scattering cross section, with constant or classical velocity (and no angular) dependence. We devise a method that allows us to explore the velocity and angular dependence of self-scattering more broadly, in the strongly-coupled resonant and classical regimes where many partial modes are necessary for the achieving the result. We map out the entire parameter space of DM self-interactions --- and implications for structure observations --- as a function of the coupling and the DM and mediator masses. We derive a new analytic formula for describing resonant s-wave scattering. Finally, we show that DM self-interactions can be correlated with observations of Sommerfeld enhancements in DM annihilation through indirect detection experiments.

Sean Tulin Hai-Bo Yu Kathryn M. Zurek

We review theories of dark matter (DM) beyond the collisionless paradigm, known as self-interacting dark matter (SIDM), and their observable implications for astrophysical structure in the Universe. Self-interactions are motivated, in part, due to the potential to explain long-standing (and more recent) small scale structure observations that are in tension with collisionless cold DM (CDM) predictions. Simple particle physics models for SIDM can provide a universal explanation for these observations across a wide range of mass scales spanning dwarf galaxies, low and high surface brightness spiral galaxies, and clusters of galaxies. At the same time, SIDM leaves intact the success of $\Lambda$CDM cosmology on large scales. This report covers the following topics: (1) small scale structure issues, including the core-cusp problem, the diversity problem for rotation curves, the missing satellites problem, and the too-big-to-fail problem, as well as recent progress in hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation; (2) N-body simulations for SIDM, including implications for density profiles, halo shapes, substructure, and the interplay between baryons and self-interactions; (3) semi-analytic Jeans-based methods that provide a complementary approach for connecting particle models with observations; (4) merging systems, such as cluster mergers (e.g., the Bullet Cluster) and minor infalls, along with recent simulation results for mergers; (5) particle physics models, including light mediator models and composite DM models; and (6) complementary probes for SIDM, including indirect and direct detection experiments, particle collider searches, and cosmological observations. We provide a summary and critical look for all current constraints on DM self-interactions and an outline for future directions.

Sean Tulin Hai-Bo Yu

We derive the contributions to the quantum transport equations for electroweak baryogenesis due to decays and inverse decays induced by tri-scalar and Yukawa interactions. In the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), these contributions give rise to couplings between Higgs and fermion supermultiplet densities, thereby communicating the effects of CP-violation in the Higgs sector to the baryon sector. We show that the decay and inverse decay-induced contributions that arise at zeroth order in the strong coupling, \alpha_s, can be substantially larger than the O(\alpha_s) terms that are generated by scattering processes and that are usually assumed to dominate. We revisit the often-used approximation of fast Yukawa-induced processes and show that for realistic parameter choices it is not justified. We solve the resulting quantum transport equations numerically with special attention on the impact of Yukawa rates and study the dependence of the baryon-to-entropy ratio Y_B on MSSM parameters.

Vincenzo Cirigliano Christopher Lee Michael J. Ramsey-Musolf Sean Tulin

We study supersymmetric contributions to correlation coefficients that characterize the spectral shape and angular distribution for polarized muon- and beta-decays. In the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), one-loop box graphs containing superpartners can give rise to non-(V-A)x(V-A) four fermion operators in the presence of left-right or flavor mixing between sfermions. We analyze the present phenomenological constraints on such mixing and determine the range of allowed contributions to the weak decay correlation coefficients. We discuss the prospective implications for future muon- and beta-decay experiments, and argue that they may provide unique probes of left-right mixing in the first generation scalar fermion sector.

Stefano Profumo Michael J. Ramsey-Musolf Sean Tulin