Simple SUSY GUT models based on the gauge group SO(10) require t-b-τYukawa coupling unification, in addition to gauge coupling and matter unification. The Yukawa coupling unification places strong constraints on the expected superparticle mass spectrum, with scalar masses \sim 10 TeV while gaugino masses are quite light. A problem generic to all supergravity models comes from overproduction of gravitinos in the early universe: if gravitinos are unstable, then their late decays may destroy the predictions of Big Bang nucleosynthesis. We present a Yukawa-unified SO(10) SUSY GUT scenario which avoids the gravitino problem, gives rise to the correct matter-antimatter asymmetry via non-thermal leptogenesis, and is consistent with the WMAP-measured abundance of cold dark matter due to the presence of an axino LSP. To maintain a consistent cosmology for Yukawa-unified SUSY models, we require a re-heat temperature T_R\sim 10^6-10^7 GeV, an axino mass around \sim 0.1-10 MeV, and a PQ breaking scale f_a\sim 10^{12} GeV.
A cosmological scenario of a light axino and a lighter gravitino is presented. The most important consequence is that it can mimick the mixed dark matter (MDM) model of the large scale structure formation. The presence of axino and gravitino is inevitable in supergravity extension of the invisible axion solution of the strong CP problem. The possibility of a light gravitino is popular in the recent efforts of gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking.
The axino and the gravitino are extremely weakly interacting candidates for the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP). We demonstrate that either of them could provide the right amount of cold dark matter. Assuming that a charged slepton is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP), we discuss how NLSP decays into the axino/gravitino LSP can provide evidence for axino/gravitino dark matter at future colliders. We show that these NLSP decays will allow us to estimate the value of the Peccei-Quinn scale and the axino mass if the axino is the LSP. In the case of the gravitino LSP, we i…
The axino and the gravitino are well-motivated candidates for the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) and also for cold dark matter in the Universe. Assuming that a charged slepton is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP), we show how the NLSP decays can be used to probe the axino LSP scenario in hadronic axion models as well as the gravitino LSP scenario at the Large Hadron Collider and the International Linear Collider. We show how one can identify experimentally the scenario realized in nature. In the case of the axino LSP, the NLSP decays will allow one to estimate the val…
The impact of a kination-dominated phase generated by a quintessential exponential model on the thermal abundance of gravitinos and axinos is investigated. We find that their abundances become proportional to the transition temperature from the kination to the radiation era; since this temperature is significantly lower than the initial ("reheating") temperature, the abundances decrease with respect to their values in the standard cosmology. For values of the quintessential energy-density parameter close to its upper bound, at the eve of nucleosynthesis, we find the following: (i) for unstable…
After a period of inflationary expansion, the Universe reheated and reached full thermal equilibrium at the reheating temperature T_R. In this work we point out that, in the context of effective low-energy supersymmetric models, LHC measurements may allow one to determine T_R as a function of the mass of the dark matter particle assumed to be either an axino or a gravitino. An upper bound on their mass may also be derived.
It is suggested that the axino mass in the 1 MeV region and gravitino mass in the eV region can provide an axino lifetime of order of the time of photon decoupling. In this case, some undecayed axinos act like cold dark matters and some axino decay products (gravitinos and hot axions) act like hot dark matters at the time of galaxy formation.
The existence of dark matter provides strong evidence for physics beyond the Standard Model. Extending the Standard Model with the Peccei-Quinn symmetry and/or supersymmetry, compelling dark matter candidates appear. For the axion, the neutralino, the gravitino, and the axino, I review primordial production mechanisms, cosmological and astrophysical constraints, experimental searches, and prospects for experimental identification.
In a large class of supersymmetric (SUSY) axion model the mass of axino $\axino$ (a fermionic superpartner of the axion) is predicted as $m_{\axino} \lesssim {\cal O}(1)$ keV. Thus, the axino is the lightest SUSY particle (LSP). We pointed out that such a light axino provides a natural solution to the gravitino problem, if the gravitino is the next LSP. We derive a constraint on the reheating temperature $T_R$ of inflation, $T_R \lesssim 10^{15}$ GeV for the gravitino mass $m_{3/2} \simeq 100$ GeV, which is much weaker than that obtained in the minimal SUSY standard model.
In supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model, the lightest neutralino, the gravitino, and the axino can appear as the lightest supersymmetric particle and as such provide a compelling explanation of the non-baryonic dark matter in our Universe. For each of these dark matter candidates, I review the present status of primordial production mechanisms, cosmological constraints, and prospects of experimental identification.
We consider the proton decay in supersymmetric models with a gravitino or axino lighter than the proton. This consideration leads to a stringent limit on the R parity and B violating Yukawa coupling of the superpotential operator U^c_i D^c_j D^c_k as $λ"_{112} < 10^{-15} (m_{3/2}/eV)$ for a light gravitino, and $λ"_{112} < 10^{-15} (F_a/ 10^{10} GeV)$ for a light DFSZ axino. For hadronic axino, the constraint is weakened by the factor of 10^{3}.
Stable particle dark matter may well originate during the decay of long-lived relic particles, as recently extensively examined in the cases of the axino, gravitino, and higher-dimensional Kaluza-Klein (KK) graviton. It is shown that in much of the viable parameter space such dark matter emerges naturally warm/hot or mixed. In particular, decay produced gravitinos (KK-gravitons) may only be considered cold for the mass of the decaying particle in the several TeV range, unless the decaying particle and the dark matter particle are almost degenerate. Such dark matter candidates are thus subject …
We consider cosmological consequences of a heavy axino, decaying to the neutralino in R-parity conserving models. The importance and influence of the axino decay on the resultant abundance of neutralino dark matter depends on the lifetime and the energy density of axino. For a high reheating temperature after inflation, copiously produced axinos dominate the energy density of the universe and its decay produces a large amount of entropy. As a bonus, we obtain that the upper bound on the reheating temperature after inflation via gravitino decay can be moderated, because the entropy production b…
Current observations of the cosmic microwave background could confirm an increase in the radiation energy density after primordial nucleosynthesis but before photon decoupling. We show that, if the gravitino problem is solved by a light axino, dark (decoupled) radiation emerges naturally in this period leading to a new upper bound on the reheating temperature T_R < 10^{11} GeV. In turn, successful thermal leptogenesis might predict such an increase. The Large Hadron Collider could endorse this opportunity. At the same time, axion and axino can naturally form the observed dark matter.
We revisit the cosmology of the supersymmetric QCD axion, highlighting the existence of a serious cosmological axino problem that is fully analogous to the gravitino problem of overclosure via thermal production. A general analysis implies that the QCD axino has a mass greater than or equal to that of the gravitino in the absence of unnatural fine-tuning or sequestering. As a consequence, bounds from thermal gravitino and QCD axino production are complementary in parameter space, and together provide a quite stringent limit on the reheating temperature after inflation given by T_R < 10^3 - 10^…
We examine dark matter production rates in supersymmetric axion models typified by the mass hierarchy m_gravitino << m_neutralino << m_axino. In such models, one expects the dark matter to be composed of an axion/gravitino admixture. After presenting motivation for how such a mass hierarchy might arise, we examine dark matter production in the SUSY Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov (KSVZ) model, the SUSY Dine-Fischler-Srednicki-Zhitnitsky (DFSZ) model and a hybrid model containing contributions from both KSVZ and DFSZ. Gravitinos can be produced thermally and also non-thermally from axino, saxio…
After a period of inflationary expansion, the Universe reheated and reached full thermal equilibrium at the reheating temperature. In this talk, based on the paper, arXiv:0710.3349, we point out that, in the context of effective low-energy supersymmetric models, LHC measurements may allow one to determine reheating temperature as a function of the mass of the dark matter particle assumed to be either an axino or a gravitino. An upper bound on their mass and on the reheating temperature may also be derived.
Axino and gravitino are promising candidates to solve the dark matter (DM) problem in the framework of supersymmetry. In this work, we assume that the axino is the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP), and therefore contributes to DM. In the case of R-parity violating models, the axino can decay into a neutrino-photon pair with a lifetime much longer than the age of the Universe, yielding a potentially detectable signal. Interestingly, a gravitino next-to-LSP (NLSP) can live enough as to contribute to the relic density. We study both scenarios, only axino LSP as DM, and axino LSP with gravit…
In supersymmetric axion models, if the gravitino or axino is the lightest SUSY particle (LSP), the other is often the next-to-LSP (NLSP). We investigate the cosmology of such a scenario and point out that the lifetime of the NLSP naturally becomes comparable to the present age of the universe in a viable parameter region. This is a well-motivated example of the so-called decaying dark matter model, which is recently considered as an extension of the $Λ$CDM model to relax some cosmological tensions.
Gravitinos and axinos produced in the late decays of other supersymmetric particles are well-motivated dark matter (DM) candidates, whose experimental evidences are very distinctive and different from other standard candidates, as thermal produced neutralinos in similar supersymmetric models. In particular, charged sleptons could appear stable because of the length of its lifetime. The direct production of such particles at both the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and a future International Linear Collider (ILC) can give not only a clear signature of supersymmetry but also the first non-gravitatio…
We realize high scale supersymmetry in the mirage mediation. The Higgs sector is extended with the Peccei-Quinn symmetry, and the higgsino mass term is generated by the Kim-Nilles mechanism. In particular, the Peccei-Quinn symmetry breaking scale naturally lies on the mirage messenger scale due to the mixed modulus-anomaly mediation with the gauge coupling unification. Consequently, the higgsino mass term is of order the weak scale while the gravitino mass is of PeV order. This hierarchy naturally leads to the correct electroweak symmetry breaking. The higgsinos are thus in the range accessibl…
Supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model that incorporate the axion solution to the strong CP problem necessarily contain also the axino, the fermionic partner of the axion. In contrast to the neutralino and the gravitino, the axino mass is generically not of the order of the supersymmetry-breaking scale and can be much smaller. The axino is therefore an intriguing candidate for a stable superpartner. In a previous Letter [1] it was shown that axinos are a natural candidate for cold dark matter in the Universe when they are generated non-thermally through out-of-equilibrium neutralino d…
In $R$-parity violating supersymmetry, the gravitino as the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) is a good candidate for dark matter, with the interesting characteristic to be detectable through $γ$-ray telescopes. We extend this analysis considering an axino next-to-LSP (NLSP) as a coexisting dark matter particle contributing with a detectable signal in the $γ$-ray spectrum. The analysis is carried out in the framework of the $μν$SSM, which solves the $μ$ problem reproducing simultaneously neutrino data only with the addition of right-handed neutrinos. We find that important regions of the …
A sufficiently long lived warm dark matter could be a source of X-rays observed by satellite based X-ray telescopes. We consider axinos and gravitinos with masses between 1 keV and 100 keV in supersymmetric models with small R-parity violation. We show that axino dark matter receives significant constraints from X-ray observations of Chandra and SPI, especially for the lower end of the allowed range of the axino decay constant $f_{a}$, while the gravitino dark matter remains unconstrained.
Supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model when combined with the Peccei-Quinn solution to the strong CP problem necessarily contain also the axino, the fermionic partner of the axion. In contrast to the neutralino and the gravitino, the axino mass is generically not of the order of the supersymmetry breaking scale and can be much smaller. The axino is therefore an intriguing candidate for a stable superpartner. The axinos are a natural candidate for cold dark matter in the Universe when they are generated non-thermally through out-of-equilibrium neutralino decays or via a competing therm…
Successful implementation of thermal leptogenesis requires re-heat temperatures T_R\agt 2\times 10^9 GeV, in apparent conflict with SUSY models with TeV-scale gravitinos, which require much lower T_R in order to avoid Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) constraints. We show that mixed axion/axino dark matter can reconcile thermal leptogenesis with the gravitino problem in models with m_{\tG}\agt 30 TeV, a rather high Peccei-Quinn breaking scale and an initial mis-alignment angle θ_i < 1. We calculate axion and axino dark matter production from four sources, and impose BBN constraints on long-lived …
A successful implementation of thermal leptogenesis requires the re-heat temperature after inflation T_R to exceed ~2\times 10^9 GeV. Such a high T_R value typically leads to an overproduction of gravitinos in the early universe, which will cause conflicts, mainly with BBN constraints. Asaka and Yanagida (AY) have proposed that these two issues can be reconciled in the context of the Peccei-Quinn augmented MSSM (PQMSSM) if one adopts a mass hierarchy m(sparticle)>m(gravitino)>m(axino), with m(axino) keV. We calculate the relic abundance of mixed axion/axino dark matter in the AY scenario, and …
Gravity-mediated SUSY breaking models with R-parity conservation give rise to dark matter in the universe. I review neutralino dark matter in the minimal supergravity model (mSUGRA), models with non-universal soft SUSY breaking terms (NUSUGRA) which yield a well-tempered neutralino, and models with unified Yukawa couplings at the GUT scale (as may occur in an SO(10) SUSY GUT theory). These latter models have difficulty accommodating neutralino dark matter, but work very well if the dark matter particles are axions and axinos.
There exist several well-motivated candidates for non-baryonic cold dark matter, including neutralinos, axions, axinos, gravitinos, Wimpzillas. I review the dark matter properties of the neutralino and the current status of its detection. I also discuss the axino as a new interesting alternative.
Entering the Era of Measuring Sub-Galactic Dark Matter Structure: Accurate Transfer Functions for Axino, Gravitino & Sterile Neutrino Thermal Warm 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 ($\tilde{a}$) and gravitinos ($\tilde{G}$) from scattering at $T_R$, and from freeze-in at the TeV scale, is diluted by the late decay of a saxion condensate that arises from inflation. The two lightest superpartners are $\tilde{a}$, with mass of order the TeV scale, and $\tilde{G}$ with mass $m_{3/2}$ anywhere between the keV and TeV scales, depending on the m…
To elucidate the composition of dark matter (DM) is one of the most important open questions in particle and astroparticle phenomenology. Within the framework of minimal supersymmetric extensions of the standard model of fundamental particles, the `mu-from-nu supersymmetric standard model', $μν$SSM, solves the $μ$-problem and reproduces neutrino data, only adding couplings involving right-handed neutrinos. In this context, the supersymmetric partner of the graviton, known as gravitino, becomes a natural DM candidate. Working in the mentioned model, in this thesis we have analyzed the detection…
We discuss a new mechanism for baryogenesis, in which the baryon asymmetry is generated by the lightest particle in another sector, for example the supersymmetric particle (LSP), decaying to quarks via baryonic-number-violating interactions. As a specific example, we use a supersymmetric axion model with an axino LSP and baryonic $R$-parity violation. This scenario predicts large $R$-parity violation for the stop, and an upper limit on the squark masses between {15 and 130 TeV}, for different choices of the Peccei-Quinn scale and the soft $X_t$ terms. We discuss the implications for the nature…
In this paper we study the interplay between the recently proposed F-theory GUTs and cosmology. Despite the fact that the parameter range for F-theory GUT models is very narrow, we find that F-theory GUTs beautifully satisfy most cosmological constraints without any further restrictions. The viability of the scenario hinges on the interplay between various components of the axion supermultiplet, which in F-theory GUTs is also responsible for breaking supersymmetry. In these models, the gravitino is the LSP and develops a mass by eating the axino mode. The radial component of the axion supermul…
I will talk on my recent works. Axino, related to the SUSY transformation of axion, can mix with Goldstino in principle. In this short talk, I would like to explain what is the axino mass and its plausible mass range. The axino mass is known to have a hierarchical mass structure depending on accidental symmetries. With only one axino, if G_A=0 where G=K+ 2ln|W|, we obtain axino mass= gravitino mass. For G_A nonzero, the axino mass depends on the details of the Kaehler potential. I also comment on the usefulness of a new parametrization of the CKM matrix.
We extend our previous study of supersymmetric Higgs inflation in the context of no-scale supergravity and grand unification, to include models based on the flipped SU(5) and the Pati-Salam group. Like the previous SU(5) GUT model, these yield a class of inflation models whose inflation predictions interpolate between those of the quadratic chaotic inflation and Starobinsky-like inflation, while avoiding tension with proton decay limits. We further analyse the reheating process in these models, and derive the number of e-folds, which is independent of the reheating temperature. We derive the c…
The connection of Dark Matter to our particle physics model is still one of the open cosmological questions. In these proceedings I will argue that axinos can be successful Cold Dark Matter candidates in models with Supersymmetry and the Peccei-Quinn solution of the strong CP problem. If they are the Lightest Supersymmetric Particle (LSP), they can be produced in the right abundance by thermal scatterings and out of equilibrium decays of the Next-to-Lightest Supersymmetric Particles (NLSPs). Moreover if the NLSPs are charged, their decay could help us understand which is the LSP, e.g. between …
In this work, we investigate the dark sector of a supersymmetric axion model, consisting of the late-decaying gravitino/axino dark matter and axion dark radiation. In the early universe, the decay of the scalar superpartner of the axion (saxion) will produce a large amount of entropy. The additional entropy can not only dilute the relic density of the gravitino/axino dark matter to avoid overclosing the universe but also relax the constraint on the reheating temperature $T_{R}$ after inflation. Meanwhile, the axion dark radiation from the saxion decay will increase the effective number of neut…
We consider the thermal production of axino dark matter in high-scale supersymmetry where all the superpartners except the axino are heavier than the maximum and reheating temperatures. In this case, the axinos are produced dominantly in pairs from the scattering of SM particles in thermal plasma in the early Universe after inflation. We find that the thermal averaged scattering cross section for the axino pair production is given by $\langleσv\rangle \propto T^4$ in Kim-Shifman-Vainstein-Zakharov (KSVZ) axion model, while it does not depend on the temperature in Dine-Fischler-Srednicki-Zhitni…
Although the mirage mediation is one of the most plausible mediation mechanisms of supersymmetry breaking, it suffers from two crucial problems. One is the μ-/B μ-problem and the second is the cosmological one. The former stems from the fact that the B parameter tends to be comparable with the gravitino mass, which is two order of magnitude larger than the other soft masses. The latter problem is caused by the decay of the modulus whose branching ratio into the gravitino pair is sizable. In this paper, we propose a model of mirage mediation, in which Peccei-Quinn symmetry is incorporated. In t…
Axion/axino dark matter (DM) is explored in the minimal supergravity (mSUGRA) and Yukawa-unified supersymmetric grand-unified theory (SUSY GUT) models with surprising results. For this type of scenario, relic DM abundance has three components: {\it i}.) cold axions, {\it ii.}) warm axinos from neutralino decay, and {\it iii.}) cold or warm thermally produced axinos. Reheat temperatures $T_R$ exceeding $10^6$ GeV are required in order to solve the gravitino/Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) problem while also allowing for baryogensis via non-thermal leptogenesis. In order to attain high enough reh…
Supersymmetric models with t-b-τYukawa unification at M_{GUT} qualitatively predict a sparticle mass spectrum including first and second generation scalars at the 3--15 TeV scale, third generation scalars at the (few) TeV scale and gluinos in the sub-TeV range. The neutralino relic density in these models typically turns out to lie far above the measured dark matter abundance, prompting the suggestion that instead dark matter is composed of an axion/axino mixture. We explore the axion and thermal and non-thermal axino dark matter abundance in Yukawa-unified SUSY models. We find in this scenari…
Recent studies of the cosmic microwave background, large scale structure, and big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) show trends towards extra radiation. Within the framework of supersymmetric hadronic axion models, we explore two high-reheating-temperature scenarios that can explain consistently extra radiation and cold dark matter (CDM), with the latter residing either in gravitinos or in axions. In the gravitino CDM case, axions from decays of thermal saxions provide extra radiation already prior to BBN and decays of axinos with a cosmologically required TeV-scale mass can produce extra entropy. In…
The axino, the fermionic superpartner of the axion, is a well-motivated candidate for cold dark matter if it is the lightest supersymmetric particle. Since the axino couples very weakly to the matter multiplets, the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP) has a long lifetime, which has important consequences for both cosmology and collider phenomenology. Assuming that a charged slepton is the NLSP, we calculate the complete leading one- and two-loop contributions to its decay. We analyze in detail constraints on the parameters space from cosmology and discuss how this scenario can be p…
The latest Lyman-$α$ forest data severely constrain the conventional warm dark matter solution to small-scale issues in the cold dark matter paradigm. It has been also reported that unconstrained astrophysical processes may address the issues. In response to this situation, we revisit the decaying dark matter solution to the issues, discussing possible signatures to discriminate decaying dark matter from astrophysical processes as a solution to small-scale issues. We consider an axinolike particle (ALPino) decaying into an axionlike particle (ALP) and gravitino with the lifetime around the age…
We present a thermal inflation model that incorporates the Affleck-Dine leptogenesis in heavy gravitino/moduli scenario, which solves the moduli-induced gravitino problem while producing a correct amount of baryon asymmetry and relic dark matter density. The model involves two singlet flat directions stabilized by radiative corrections associated with supersymmetry breaking, one direction that generates the Higgs μand B parameters, and the other direction that generates the scale of spontaneous lepton number violation. The dark matter is provided by the lightest flatino which might be identifi…
Salient aspects of the meeting are summarized, including our knowledge of dark matter at different cosmological and astrophysical distance scales, ranging from large-scale structure to the cores of galaxies, and our speculations on particle candidates for dark matter, including neutrinos, neutralinos, axinos, gravitinos and cryptons. Comments are also made on prospects for detecting dark matter particles and on the dark energy problem.
Supersymmetric grand unified theories based on the gauge group SO(10) are highly motivated. In the simplest models, one expects t-b-τYukawa coupling unification, in addition to gauge, matter and Higgs unification. Yukawa unification only occurs with very special GUT scale boundary conditions, leading to a spectra with ~10 TeV first and second generation scalars, TeV-scale third generation scalars, and light gauginos. The relic density of neutralino cold dark matter is calculated to be 10^2-10^4 times higher than observation. If we extend the theory with the PQWW solution to the strong CP probl…
Weak scale supersymmetry is a highly motivated extension of the Standard Model that has a strong degree of support from data. It provides several viable dark matter candidates: the lightest neutralino (a WIMP), the gravitino, and the axion/axino supermultiplet. The LHC turn-on is imminent. The discovery of supersymmetry at the LHC will go a long way towards establishing the nature of dark matter. I present arguments why mainly axion cold dark matter is a better fit for supersymmetric models than neutralinos. I also argue that Yukawa-unified SUSY GUT theories based on SO(10) with mixed axion/ax…
The impact of a kination-dominated phase generated by a quintessential exponential model on the thermal abundance of Supersymmetric (SUSY) extremely Weekly Interacting Massive Particles (e-WIMPs) is investigated. For values of the quintessential energy-density parameter on the eve of nucleosynthesis close to its upper bound, we find that: (i) the gravitino constraint is totally evaded for unstable gravitinos; (ii) the thermal abundance of stable gravitinos is not sufficient to account for the cold dark matter of the universe; (iii) the thermal abundance of axinos can satisfy the cold dark matt…
We consider the proton decay involving a light gravitino or axino in gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking models to derive constraints on the $R$ parity and baryon number violating Yukawa couplings. Bounds on all nine coupling constants are obtained by considering the decay amplitudes at one-loop order.
Supersymmetric models based on anomaly-mediated SUSY breaking (AMSB) generally give rise to a neutral wino as a WIMP cold dark matter (CDM) candidate, whose thermal abundance is well below measured values. Here, we investigate four scenarios to reconcile AMSB dark matter with the measured abundance: 1. non-thermal wino production due to decays of scalar fields ({\it e.g} moduli), 2. non-thermal wino production due to decays of gravitinos, 3. non-thermal wino production due to heavy axino decays, and 4. the case of an axino LSP, where the bulk of CDM is made up of axions and thermally produced …
In all supersymmetric theories, gravitinos, with mass suppressed by the Planck scale, are an obvious candidate for dark matter; but if gravitinos ever reached thermal equilibrium, such dark matter is apparently either too abundant or too hot, and is excluded. However, in theories with an axion, a saxion condensate is generated during an early era of cosmological history and its late decay dilutes dark matter. We show that such dilution allows previously thermalized gravitinos to account for the observed dark matter over very wide ranges of gravitino mass, keV < $m_{3/2}$ < TeV, axion decay con…
We present an overview of supersymmetry searches, both at collider experiments and via searches for dark matter (DM). We focus on three DM possibilities in the SUSY context: the thermally produced neutralino, a mixture of axion and axino, and the gravitino, and compare and contrast signals that may be expected at colliders, in direct detection (DD) experiments searching of DM relics left over from the Big Bang, and indirect detection (ID) experiments designed to detect the products of DM annihilations within the solar interior or galactic halo. Detection of DM particles using multiple strategi…
We examine some conditions which are needed to allow the Peccei-Quinn scale (f_a) as high as the SUSY GUT scale (M_{GUT} \sim 10^{16} GeV) in the context of the PQMSSM with either an axino or a neutralino LSP. The main problem in non-SUSY models with f_a\sim M_{GUT} is the generation of an overabundance of axion dark matter (\sim f_a^{7/6}) due to vacuum misalignment. We show that once all the components of the axion supermultiplet are included, the upper limit on f_a can be evaded due to large entropy injection from saxion decays. This large entropy injection also dilutes all other quasi-stab…
We have studied the detection of long-lived staus at the IceCube neutrino telescope, after their production inside the Earth through the inelastic scattering of high energy neutrinos. The theoretical predictions for the stau flux are calculated in two scenarios in which the presence of long-lived staus is naturally associated to viable supersymmetric dark matter. Namely, we consider the cases with superWIMP (gravitino or axino) and neutralino dark matter (along the coannihilation region). In both scenarios the maximum value of the stau flux turns out to be about 1 event/yr in regions with a li…
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 axion/saxion/axino supermultiplet. By numerically solving the coupled Boltzmann equations, we include the combined effects of 1. thermal axino production with cascade decays to a neutralino LSP, 2. thermal saxion production and production via coherent oscillations along with cascade decays and entropy injection, 3. thermal neutralino production and re-annihilati…
We show that in F-theory GUTs, a natural explanation of flavor hierarchies in the quark and lepton sector requires a single point of E_8 enhancement in the internal geometry, from which all Yukawa couplings originate. The monodromy group acting on the seven-brane configuration plays a key role in this analysis. Moreover, the E_8 structure automatically leads to the existence of the additional fields and interactions needed for minimal gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking,__and almost nothing else__. Surprisingly, we find that in all but one Dirac neutrino scenario the messenger fields in the …
