We present a model of weak scale Dark Matter (DM) where the thermal DM density is set by the lepton asymmetry due to the presence of higher dimension lepton violating operators. In these models there is generically a separation between the annihilation cross-section responsible for the relic abundance (through lepton violating operators) and the annihilation cross-section that is relevant for the indirect detection of DM (through lepton preserving operators). Due to this separation, there is a perceived boost in the annihilation cross-section in the galaxy today relative to that derived for canonical thermal freeze-out. This results in a natural explanation for the observed cosmic ray electron and positron excesses, without resorting to a Sommerfeld enhancement. Generating the indirect signals also sets the magnitude of the direct detection cross-section which implies a signal for the next generation of experiments. More generically these models motivate continued searches for DM with apparently non-thermal annihilation cross-sections. The DM may also play a role in radiatively generating Majorana neutrino masses.
Motivated by the recent Xenon1T result, we study a leptophilic flavour-dependent anomaly-free axion-like particle (ALP) and its effects on charged-lepton flavour violation (CLFV). We present two representative models. The first one considers that the ALP origins from the flavon that generates the charged-lepton masses. The second model assumes a larger flavour symmetry such that more general mixings in the charged-lepton are possible, while maintaining flavour-dependent ALP couplings. We find that a keV ALP explaining the Xenon1T result is still viable for lepton flavour violation and stellar …
Many Standard Model extensions can contribute to four-lepton signals at large colliders. We review the particular case of leptophilic interactions eventually observable at the LHC and the ILC, paying special attention to the addition of a new vector boson coupled to muon minus tau lepton number, $Z'_{μ- τ}$, and emphasizing the prospects at a very large hadron collider with $\sqrt s =$ 100 TeV. We also discuss in this case the new contribution to two-lepton (Drell-Yan) production when the new leptophilic interaction has a non-vanishing kinetic mixing with the SM.
New gauge symmetries often appear in theories beyond the Standard Model. Here we study a model where lepton number is promoted to a gauge symmetry. Anomaly cancellation requires the introduction of additional leptons, the lightest of which is a natural leptophilic dark matter candidate. We perform a comprehensive study of both collider and dark matter phenomenology. Furthermore we find that the model exhibits a first order lepton number breaking phase transition in large regions of parameter space. The corresponding gravitational wave signal is computed, and its detectability at LISA and other…
We consider a scenario where dark matter (DM) interacts exclusively with Standard Model (SM) leptons at tree level. Due to the absence of tree-level couplings to quarks, the constraints on leptophilic dark matter arising from direct detection and hadron collider experiments are weaker than those for a generic WIMP. We study a simple model in which interactions of DM with SM leptons are mediated by a leptophilic $Z'$ boson, and determine constraints on this scenario arising from relic density, direct detection, and other experiments. We then determine current LHC limits and project the future d…
The type X (lepton-specific) two-Higgs-doublet model at large $\tanβ$ becomes leptophilic and thus allows a light pseudoscalar $A$ accommodating the observed muon $g-2$ deviation without conflicting with various hadronic constraints. On the other hand, it is strongly constrained by leptonic precision observables such as lepton universality test in the neutral and charged currents. Treating all the lepton universality data in a consistent way, we show how the current data constrain the parameter space of $m_A$ and $\tanβ$ for given degenerate masses of heavy Higgs bosons $H$ and $H^\pm$. While …
A light leptophilic boson (scalar or pseudoscalar) has been postulated to explain the muon g-2 anomaly and could be a portal to dark matter. Realizing the leptophilic nature of a singlet boson in the framework of the two-Higgs-doublet-Model of type-X, we identify the parameter space viable for the explanation of the updated muon g-2 discrepancy. It is then shown that such a hypothetical particle will be unambiguously ruled out or discovered via the Yukawa process at a lepton collider designed as a Higgs factory.
Dark matter particles that couple primarily to leptons are only weakly constrained by data from direct detection experiments and the LHC. However, models of this kind necessarily generate effective four-lepton contact interactions at the tree- or one-loop-level, which can be probed in $e^+e^-$ collisions. In this work, precise data from LEP is used to derive limits on leptophilic dark matter in a model-independent framework. The bounds turn out to be competitive with, and in some cases exceed, limits from mono-photon events. We also extrapolate our results to ILC energies and luminosities. We …
We construct a model of decaying, TeV-scale scalar dark matter motivated by data from the PAMELA and Fermi-LAT experiments. By introducing an appropriate Abelian discrete symmetry and an intermediate scale of vector-like states that are responsible for generating lepton Yukawa couplings, we show that Planck-suppressed corrections may lead to decaying dark matter that is leptophilic and has the desired lifetime. The dark matter candidate decays primarily to lepton/anti-lepton pairs, and at a subleading rate to final states with a lepton, anti-lepton and standard model Higgs boson. We show that …
We study the feasibility of the Type-X two Higgs doublet model (THDM-X) at collider experiments. In the THDM-X, new Higgs bosons mostly decay into tau leptons in the wide range of the parameter space. Such scalar bosons are less constrained by current experimental data, because of the suppressed quark Yukawa interactions. We discuss a search strategy of the THDM-X with multi-tau lepton final states at International linear collider and Large Hadron Collider. By using the collinear approximation, we show that a four tau lepton signature (e^+e^- -> HA -> 4τ) can be a clean signal.
We consider the possibility that dark matter (DM) only interacts with the Standard Model leptons, but not quarks at tree level, and analyze the future lepton collider prospects of such leptophilic DM in the monophoton and mono-$Z$ (both leptonic and hadronic) channels. Adopting a model-independent effective field theory framework, we consider all possible dimension-six operators of scalar-pseudoscalar (SP), vector-axial vector (VA), and tensor-axial tensor (TAT) types for a fermionic DM and derive the collider sensitivities on the effective cutoff scale $Λ$ as a function of the DM mass. As a c…
We study the anomalous muon and electron magnetic moments by introducing a scalar with CP-violating Yukawa couplings to the lepton sector. By fitting these two magnetic moments with the recent experimental measurements, we find that such a leptophilic scalar in the mass range of $\mathcal{O}(10)- \mathcal{O}(1000 )\,\rm GeV$ can be a possible source for the current experimental deviations from the Standard Model (SM) predictions, with $\mathcal{O}(0.1) - \mathcal{O}(1)$ Yukawa couplings. The current electron and muon EDM constraints to the general CP-violating Yukawa couplings are discussed. W…
We propose a model which explains the baryon asymmetry of the universe and dark matter relic density at the same time. In this model, dark matter candidate is the dark baryon composed by dark quarks. A scalar mediator, which couples to the standard model leptons and dark quarks, is introduced to generate the asymmetry of baryon and dark baryon simultaneously. Direct detection and collider detection of this model are studied. We find that current underground direct detection experiments and LHC can hardly detect this model. But future lepton colliders, such as CEPC, have great potential to dete…
Dark matter particles will be captured in neutron stars if they undergo scattering interactions with nucleons or leptons. These collisions transfer the dark matter kinetic energy to the star, resulting in appreciable heating that is potentially observable by forthcoming infrared telescopes. While previous work considered scattering only on nucleons, neutron stars contain small abundances of other particle species, including electrons and muons. We perform a detailed analysis of the neutron star kinetic heating constraints on leptophilic dark matter. We also estimate the size of loop induced co…
The leptophilic weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) is realized in a minimal renormalizable model scenario where scalar mediators with lepton number establish the WIMP interaction with the standard model (SM) leptons. We perform a comprehensive analysis for such a WIMP scenario for two distinct cases with an SU(2) doublet or singlet mediator considering all the relevant theoretical, cosmological and experimental constraints at present. We show that the mono-photon search at near-future lepton collider experiments (ILC, FCC-ee, CEPC, etc.) can play a significant role to probe the yet une…
Leptophilic interactions can only be observed at the LHC in four-lepton final states. If these interactions are mediated by a resonance in the di-leptonic channel with renormalizable couplings, the mediator must have spin 1. We study the LHC reach for such a vector boson allowing for arbitrary couplings. We find that only couplings to muons can be probed at the LHC because lepton flavor violating couplings are constrained by rare processes, couplings to electrons by LEP and the LHC is not sensitive to final states involving taus in this case. The ILC becomes then complementary to the LHC as it…
In this work, we examine a two-Higgs-doublet extension of the Standard Model in which one Higgs doublet is responsible for giving mass to both up- and down-type quarks, while a separate doublet is responsible for giving mass to leptons. We examine both the theoretical and experimental constraints on the model and show that large regions of parameter space are allowed by these constraints in which the effective couplings between the lightest neutral Higgs scalar and the Standard-Model leptons are substantially enhanced. We investigate the collider phenomenology of such a "leptophilic" two-Higgs…
We consider an electro-weak scale model for Dark Matter (DM) and radiative neutrino mass generation. Despite the leptophilic nature of DM with no direct couplings to quarks and gluons, scattering with nuclei is induced at the 1-loop level through photon exchange. Effectively, there are charge-charge, dipole-charge and dipole-dipole interactions. We investigate the parameter space consistent with constraints from neutrino masses and mixing, charged lepton-flavour violation, perturbativity, and the thermal production of the correct DM abundance, and calculate the expected event rate in DM direct…
We study vector portal dark matter models where the mediator couples only to leptons. In spite of the lack of tree-level couplings to colored states, radiative effects generate interactions with quark fields that could give rise to a signal in current and future experiments. We identify such experimental signatures: scattering of nuclei in dark matter direct detection; resonant production of lepton-antilepton pairs at the Large Hadron Collider; and hadronic final states in dark matter indirect searches. Furthermore, radiative effects also generate an irreducible mass mixing between the vector …
We study the influence of leptophilic dark matter interactions on decays of muons and ground state mesons in existing experiments. We consider a secluded dark sector exclusively interacting with leptons via either a (leptophilic) scalar or vector mediator. These interactions will therefore influence leptonic decays and deform the energy spectra. We first study the Michel decay of muons, $μ^+\rightarrow e^+ν_e \barν_μ$, which allow us to constrain the parameter space reasonably well. Secondly, the rare $π^\pm$, $K^\pm$, $D^\pm$ and $D_s^\pm$ decays to $eν$ will be considered. Scalar mediators w…
We describe a simple model of Dark Matter, which explains the PAMELA/ATIC excesses while being consistent with all present constraints. The DAMA annual modulation signal can also be explained for some values of the parameters. The model consists of a Dark Sector containing a weakly coupled broken U(1) gauge symmetry, under which only the Dark Matter state and the leptons are charged.
Many scenarios of physics beyond the Standard Model predict the existence of new gauge singlets, which might be substantially lighter than the weak scale. The experimental constraints on additional scalars with masses in the MeV to GeV range could be significantly weakened if they interact predominantly with leptons rather than quarks. At an $e^+e^-$ collider, such a leptophilic scalar ($ϕ_L$) would be produced predominantly through radiation from a $τ$ lepton. We report herein a search for $e^+e^- \to τ^+τ^- ϕ_L$, $ϕ_L \to \ell^+\ell^-$ ($\ell=e,μ$) using data collected by the BABAR experimen…
The muon $g-2$ anomaly was strengthened by recent experimental results at Fermilab, which may be signatures of new physics. A scenario of leptophilic scalar $ϕ_L$ accounting for the muon $g-2$ anomaly is investigated in this paper. Though a light $ϕ_L$ mainly decaying into standard model (SM) particles has been excluded by experiments, a dark leptophilic scalar $ϕ_L$ predominantly decaying into invisible fermionic dark matter (DM) $χ\barχ$ is still allowed. Considering the decay mode $ϕ_L \to χ\barχ$ opened (here $m_{ϕ_L} = 3 m_χ$), the coupling preferred by the muon $g-2$ and the $ϕ_L-χ$ coup…
New neutral heavy gauge bosons ($Z^\prime$) are predicted within many extensions of the Standard Model. While in case they couple to quarks the LHC bounds are very stringent, leptophilic $Z^\prime$ bosons (even with sizable couplings) can be much lighter and therefore lead to interesting quantum effects in precision observables (like $(g-2)_μ$) and generate flavour violating decays of charged leptons. In particular, $\ell\to\ell^\primeν\barν$ decays, anomalous magnetic moments of charged leptons, $\ell\to\ell^\primeγ$ and $\ell\to3\ell^\prime$ decays place stringent limits on leptophilic $Z^\p…
Effective WIMP models are minimal extensions of the standard model that explain the relic density of dark matter by the ``WIMP miracle.'' In this paper we consider the phenomenology of effective WIMPs with trilinear couplings to leptons and a new ``lepton partner'' particle. The observed relic abundance fixes the strength of the cubic coupling, so the parameters of the models are defined by the masses of the WIMP and lepton partner particles. This gives a simple parameter space where collider and direct detection experiments can be compared under well-defined physical minimality assumptions. T…
We present a supersymmetric model with two dark matter (DM) components explaining the galactic positron excess observed by PAMELA/HEAT and ATIC/PPB-BETS: One is the conventional (bino-like) lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) χ, and the other is a TeV scale meta-stable neutral singlet N_D, which is a Dirac fermion (N,N^c). In this model, N_D decays dominantly into χe^+e^- through an R parity preserving dimension 6 operator with the life time τ_N\sim 10^{26} sec. We introduce a pair of vector-like superheavy SU(2) lepton doublets (L,L^c) and lepton singlets (E,E^c). The dimension 6 operator …
In the light of the $e^{+}+e^{-}$ excess observed by DAMPE experiment, we propose an anomaly-free radiative seesaw model with an alternative leptophilic $U(1)_X$ gauge symmetry. In the model, only right-handed leptons are charged under $U(1)_X$ symmetry. The tiny Dirac neutrino masses are generated at one-loop level and charged leptons acquire masses though the type-I seesaw-like mechanism with heavy intermediate fermions. In order to cancel the anomaly, irrational $U(1)_{X}$ charge numbers are assigned to some new particles. After the spontaneous breaking of $U(1)_{X}$ symmetry, the dark $Z_{…
We propose a model for the vector-like lepton to explain the small muon mass by a seesaw mechanism, based on lepton-specific two Higgs doublet models with a local $U(1)'$ symmetry. There is no bare muon mass for a nonzero $U(1)'$ charge of the leptophilic Higgs doublet, so the physical muon mass is generated due to the mixing between the vector-like lepton and the muon after the leptophilic Higgs doublet and the dark Higgs get VEVs. In this scenario, the non-decoupling effects of the vector-like lepton give rise to leading contributions to the muon $g-2$, thanks to the light $Z'$ and the light…
We investigate the prospects for detecting light leptophilic dark sectors with a missing-momentum experiment at NA64 running in muon mode. In particular, we consider models in which dark matter connects to the visible sector through a lepton- or muon-specific scalar mediator. These scalars can also account for the $\sim 3.5σ$ discrepancy between the measured and predicted values of $(g-2)_μ$ . We emphasize the complementarity between NA64-$μ$ and other terrestrial and astrophysical probes.
The positron anomaly recently reported by the cosmic-ray measurements can be explained by the decaying dark matter scenario, where it decays mainly into leptons with the lifetime of O(10^26) second. When the dark matter is a fermionic particle, the lifetime of this order is known to be obtained by a dimension 6 operator suppressed by the unification scale 10^16 GeV, while such decay operators do not necessarily involve only leptons. In addition, the scenario would be spoiled if there exist lower-dimensional operators inducing the dark matter decay. We show in this letter that a single non-Abel…
In this paper we revisit constraints on the leptophilic dark matter (DM) arising from the DM indirect detection experiments. Interactions between the charged leptons and the scalar-type, Dirac-type or vector-type DM are written in terms of effective operators. After classifying all interactions that may give non-zero signals in indirect detections, we study constraints on the parameter space of these effective interactions from the latest results of AMS-02, Planck, Fermi-LAT and H.E.S.S., as well as the observed relic abundance. Main results are summarized in the Table. I. It shows that the $τ…
Two general problems arise when interpreting the recent cosmic ray data as signals of Dark Matter (DM) annihilation: (i) the required cross section is too large by O(100), and (ii) the annihilation products seem to be mostly leptonic. We propose to address these two problems by assuming that the couplings of DM to leptons grow with time. This can be achieved by a dynamic localization of DM in extra dimensions. A possible outcome of this proposal is a time (red-shift) dependent annihilation signal, in terms of strength and dominant final states.
We investigate the scenario where the dark matter only interacts with the charged leptons in the standard model via a neutral vector mediator $Z'$. Such a scenario with a 430 GeV dark matter can fit the recent positron fluxes observed by the AMS-02 Collaborations, with the reasonable boost factors. We study the possibility of searching such leptophilic $Z'$ via its lepton final states and invisible decay modes at the future electron-positron colliders, such as the International Linear Collider (ILC) and the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC). We find that for the benchmark models with $Z'$ mass fr…
The $ O(GeV)$ extra $ U(1)$ gauge boson named U-boson, has been proposed to mediate the interaction among leptons and dark matter (DM), in order to account for the observations by PAMELA and ATIC. In such kind of models, the extra U(1) gauge group can be chosen as $U(1)_{L_i-L_j}$ with $L_i$ the $i-$th generation lepton number. This anomaly-free model provides appropriate dark matter relic density and boost factor required by experiments. In this work the observability of such kind of U-boson at BESIII detector is investigated through the processes $ e^ + e^ - \to Uγ$, followed by $U\to e^+e^-…
An analysis is given of the Belle II sensitivities and NA64 constraints on the sub-GeV Dirac dark matter that interacts with charged leptons. We consider two different types of interactions between sub-GeV Dirac dark matter and the charged leptons: the EFT operators and the light vector mediators. We compute the Belle II mono-photon sensitivities on sub-GeV dark matter with 50 ab$^{-1}$ data which are expected to be accumulated in the full Belle II runs. Although the Belle II mono-photon sensitivities on the EFT operators are of similar size as the LEP constraints, Belle II can probe new param…
We consider renormalizable theories such that the scattering of dark matter off leptons arises at tree level, but scattering off nuclei only arises at loop. In this framework, the various dark matter candidates can be classified by their spins and by the forms of their interactions with leptons. We determine the corrections to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon that arise from these interactions. We then consider the implications of these results for a set of simplified models of leptophilic dark matter. When a dark matter candidate reduces the existing tension between the standard mode…
In this paper we study a leptophilic dark matter scenario involving feeble dark matter coupling to the Standard Model (SM) and compressed dark matter-mediator mass spectrum. We consider a simplified model where the SM is extended with one Majorana fermion, the dark matter, and one charged scalar, the mediator, coupling to the SM leptons through a Yukawa interaction. We first discuss the dependence of the dark matter relic abundance on the Yukawa coupling going continuously from freeze-in to freeze-out with an intermediate stage of conversion driven freeze-out. Focusing on the latter, we then e…
In leptophilic scenarios, dark matter interactions with nuclei, relevant for direct detection experiments and for the capture by celestial objects, could only occur via loop-induced processes. If the mediator is a scalar or pseudo-scalar particle, which only couples to leptons, the dominant contribution to dark matter-nucleus scattering would take place via two-photon exchange with a lepton triangle loop. The corresponding diagrams have been estimated in the literature under different approximations. Here, we present new analytical calculations for one-body two-loop and two-body one-loop inter…
In a recent paper by Hooper and Goodenough, data from the Fermi Gamma Ray Telescope was analyzed and an excess of gamma rays was claimed to be found in the emission spectrum from the Galactic Center Region. Hooper and Goodenough suggest that the claimed excess can be well explained by 7-10 GeV annihilating dark matter with a power law density profile if the dark matter annihilates predominantly to tau pairs. In this paper we present such a dark matter model by extending the MSSM to include four Higgs doublets and one scalar singlet. A Z2 symmetry is imposed that enforces a Yukawa structure so …
Dark matter interacting predominantly with leptons instead of nuclear matter has received a lot of interest recently. In this talk, we investigate the signals expected from such 'leptophilic Dark Matter' in direct detection experiments and in experiments looking for Dark Matter annihilation into neutrinos in the Sun. In a model-independent framework, we calculate the expected interaction rates for different scattering processes, including elastic and inelastic scattering off atomic electron shells, as well as loop-induced scattering off atomic nuclei. In those cases where the last effect domin…
In this work, we study indirect photon signatures of leptophilic dark matter (DM) coming from Centaurus A, where a DM density spike is believed to have survived to date contrary to the case of our galaxy. We consider a model where DM is a Majorana fermion which interacts with right-handed electrons via a scalar mediator. Assuming that the photons measured from the core of Cen A are coming from SM processes, we derive constraints on the average annihilation cross section which are 7 orders of magnitude stronger than the ones from measurements of the Galactic Center. Focusing on the allowed para…
Heavy neutrinos have a long history of consideration in the literature, in particular related to their role as solutions to the problems of neutrino mass, baryon asymmetry, and possibly dark matter. Interestingly, recent developments in the Madala hypothesis, a standard model extension designed to explain persistent LHC lepton anomalies, may also necessitate a heavy neutrino. This prospect is exciting as a dark matter model consisting of a TeV-scale leptophilic fermionic particle is also invoked to explain the electron-positron excess observed by the DAMPE experiment. The tantalising similarit…
We investigate the leptophilic properties of Dirac gauginos in an R--symmetric N=2 supersymmetric model with extended gauge and Higgs sectors. The annihilation of Dirac gauginos to leptons requires no chirality flip in the final states so that it is not suppressed as in the Majorana case. This implies that it can be sizable enough to explain the positron excess observed by the PAMELA experiment with moderate or no boost factors. When squark masses are heavy, the annihilation of Dirac gauginos to hadrons is controlled by their Higgsino fraction and is driven by the $hZ$ and $W^+W^-$ final state…
We discuss the phenomenology of a minimal model for GeV-scale Majorana dark matter (DM) coupled to the standard model lepton sector via a charged scalar singlet. The theoretical framework extends the Standard Model by two $SU(2)_L$ singlets: one charged Higgs boson and a singlet right-handed fermion. The latter plays the role of the DM candidate. We show that there is an anti-correlation between the spin-independent DM-Nucleus scattering cross-section ($σ_{\rm SI}$) and the DM relic density. We suggest a scenario that can be tested in both electron-electron and electron-positron collisions usi…
Production of Leptophilic Bosons in Ultradegenerate Relativistic Matter
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)（意大利国家核物理研究所）；Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI)（格兰萨索科学研究所）；Università degli Studi di Padova（帕多瓦大学）；Max-Planck-Institut für Physik（马克斯·普朗克物理学研究所）
We study the influence of lepton asymmetry on the evolution of the early Universe. The lepton asymmetry $l$ is poorly constrained by observations and might be orders of magnitude larger than the baryon asymmetry $b$, $|l|/b \leq 2\times 10^8$. We find that lepton asymmetries that are large compared to the tiny baryon asymmetry, can influence the dynamics of the QCD phase transition significantly. The cosmic trajectory in the $μ_B-T$ phase diagram of strongly interacting matter becomes a function of lepton (flavour) asymmetry. Large lepton asymmetry could lead to a cosmic QCD phase transition o…
We propose a new class of $U(1)_{μ-τ}$ gauged model that can explain recent flavor anomalies such as muon $g-2$, $b\to sμ^+ μ^-$, as well as include a scalar dark matter candidate while satisfying all the phenomenological constraints. For this purpose, we add new vectorlike quarks and leptons as well as two inert singlet scalars, one leptophilic and the other leptophobic. In our model $b\to sμ^+ μ^-$ anomalies can be explained by loop induced interactions among the SM and exotic quarks and $Z'$ gauge boson. In our numerical analysis, we show allowed region of our model to be narrow, and it wou…
