We obtain the value of the mirror magnetic field during different stages of cosmological evolution. We consider the magnetic field generation in the radiation-dominated era and the post-recombination epoch. We also estimate its galactic low-scale value in the process of dynamo amplification. We discuss a possible effect of the mirror magnetic field on the mirror matter distribution in a galaxy. The model can be generalized by assuming the existence of kinetic mixing between ordinary and mirror particles.
Mirror matter is a stable self-collisional dark matter candidate. If exact mirror parity is a conserved symmetry of nature, there could exist a parallel hidden (mirror) sector of the Universe which has the same kind of particles and the same physical laws of our (visible) sector. The two sectors interact each other predominantly via gravity, therefore mirror matter is naturally "dark". Here I briefly review the cosmological signatures of mirror dark matter, as Big Bang nucleosynthesis, primordial structure formation and evolution, cosmic microwave background and large scale structure power spe…
The simplest model of mirror sector dark matter maintains exact mirror symmetry, but has a baryon abundance $Ω_{b'} = βΩ_b$ and a suppressed temperature $T' = x T$ in the mirror sector; hence it depends only on two parameters, $β,x$. For sufficiently small $x$, early cosmological observables may not constrain mirror baryons from constituting all of the dark matter despite their strong self-interactions, depending on the unknown details of structure formation in the hidden sector. Here we close this loophole by simulating mirror structure formation, mapping out the allowed regions of parameter …
Recent observations indicate that about half of the dwarf satellite galaxies around M31 orbit in a thin plane approximately aligned with the Milky Way. It has been argued that this observation along with several other features can be explained if these dwarf satellite galaxies originated as tidal dwarf galaxies formed during an ancient merger event. However if dark matter is collisionless then tidal dwarf galaxies should be free of dark matter - a condition that is difficult to reconcile with observations indicating that dwarf satellite galaxies are dark matter dominated. We argue that dissipa…
Mirror and more generic hidden sector dark matter models can simultaneously explain the DAMA, CoGeNT and CRESST dark matter signals consistently with the null results of the other experiments. This type of dark matter can be captured by the Earth and shield detectors because it is self-interacting. This effect will lead to a diurnal modulation in dark matter detectors. We estimate the size of this effect for dark matter detectors in various locations. For a detector located in the northern hemisphere, this effect is expected to peak in April and can be detected for optimistic parameter choices…
Mirror dark matter offers a framework to explain the existing dark matter direct detection experiments. Here we confront this theory with the most recent experimental data, paying attention to the various known systematic uncertainties, in quenching factor, detector resolution, galactic rotational velocity and velocity dispersion. We perform a detailed analysis of the DAMA and CoGeNT experiments assuming a negligible channeling fraction and find that the data can be fully explained within the mirror dark matter framework. We also show that the mirror dark matter candidate can explain recent da…
The DAMA/Libra experiment has recently confirmed the annual modulation signal obtained in the earlier DAMA/NaI experiment, providing strong evidence that they have actually detected dark matter. We examine the implications of this experiment for the mirror dark matter candidate. We show that mirror dark matter successfully explains the latest DAMA/Libra data, whilst also being consistent with the null results of other direct detection experiments.
Mirror matter is a stable self-collisional dark matter candidate. If parity is a conserved unbroken symmetry of nature, there could exist a parallel hidden (mirror) sector of the Universe composed of particles with the same masses and obeying the same physical laws as our (visible) sector, except for the opposite handedness of weak interactions. The two sectors interact predominantly via gravity, therefore mirror matter is naturally "dark". Here I review the cosmological signatures of mirror dark matter, concerning thermodynamics of the early Universe, Big Bang nucleosynthesis, primordial stru…
An exact parity replicates the Standard Model giving a Mirror Standard Model, SM $\leftrightarrow$ SM$'$. This "Higgs Parity" and the mirror electroweak symmetry are spontaneously broken by the mirror Higgs, $\left\langle H'\right\rangle = v' \gg \left\langle H\right\rangle$, yielding the Standard Model Higgs as a Pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone Boson of an approximate $SU(4)$ symmetry, with a quartic coupling $λ_{SM}(v') \sim 10^{-3}$. Mirror electromagnetism is unbroken and dark matter is composed of $e'$ and $\bar{e}'$. Direct detection may be possible via the kinetic mixing portal, and in unified t…
We discuss astrophysical implications of the modified gravity model in which the two matter components, ordinary and dark, couple to separate gravitational fields that mix to each other through small mass terms. There are two spin-2 eigenstates: the massless graviton that induces universal Newtonian attraction, and the massive one that gives rise to the Yukawa-like potential which is repulsive between the ordinary and dark bodies. As a result the distances much smaller than the Yukawa radius $r_m$ the gravitation strength between the two types of matter becomes vanishing. If $r_m \sim 10$ kpc,…
If dark matter is dissipative then the distribution of dark matter within galactic halos can be governed by dissipation, heating and hydrostatic equilibrium. Previous work has shown that a specific model, in the framework of mirror dark matter, can explain several empirical galactic scaling relations. It is shown here that this dynamical halo model implies a quasi-isothermal dark matter density, $ρ(r) = ρ_0 r_0^2/(r^2 + r_0^2)$, where the core radius, $r_0$, scales with disk scale length, $r_D$, via $r_0/{\rm kpc} = 1.4\left(r_D/{\rm kpc}\right)$. Additionally, the product $ρ_0 r_0$ is roughly…
We present new fast numerical simulations of cosmic microwave background and large scale structure in the case in which the cosmological dark matter is made entirely or partly of mirror matter. We consider scalar adiabatic primordial perturbations at linear scales in a flat Universe. The speed of the simulations allows us for the first time to use Markov Chain Monte Carlo analyses to constrain the mirror parameters. A Universe with pure mirror matter can fit very well the observations, equivalently to the case of an admixture with cold dark matter. In both cases, the analyses show a clear indi…
Mirror dark matter is a dissipative and self-interacting multiparticle dark matter candidate which can explain the DAMA, CoGeNT and CRESST-II direct detection experiments. This explanation requires photon-mirror photon kinetic mixing of strength $ε\sim 10^{-9}$. Mirror dark matter with such kinetic mixing can potentially leave distinctive signatures on the CMB anisotropy spectrum. We show that the most important effect of kinetic mixing on the CMB anisotropies is the suppression of the height of the third and higher odd peaks. If $ε\stackrel{>}{\sim} 10^{-9}$ then this feature can be observed …
B and L violating interactions of ordinary particles with their twin particles from hypothetical mirror world can co-generate baryon asymmetries in both worlds in comparable amounts, $Ω'_B/Ω_B \sim 5$ or so. On the other hand, the same interactions induce the oscillation phenomena between the neutral particles of two sectors which convert e.g. mirror neutrons into our antineutrons. These oscillations are environment dependent and can have fascinating physical consequences.
Recently, the CDMS/Si experiment has observed a low energy excess of events in their dark matter search. In light of this new result we update the mirror dark matter explanation of the direction detection experiments. We find that the DAMA, CoGeNT, CRESST-II and CDMS/Si data can be simultaneously explained by halo $\sim Fe'$ interactions provided that $v_{rot} \approx 200$ km/s. Other parameter space is also possible. Forthcoming experiments, including CDMSlite, CDEX, COUPP, LUX, C-4,... should be able to further scrutinize mirror dark matter and closely related hidden sector models in the nea…
We compute the primordial mirror helium He' mass fraction emerging from Big Bang nucleosynthesis in the mirror sector of particles in the presence of kinetic mixing between photons and mirror photons. We explore the kinetic mixing parameter (epsilon) values relevant for cosmology and which are also currently probed by the dark matter direct detection experiments. In particular, we find that for epsilon \sim 10^{-9}, as suggested by the DAMA/Libra and other experiments, a large He' mass fraction (Y_{He'} \approx 90%) is produced. Such a large value of the primordial He' mass fraction will have …
Dark matter might reside in a hidden sector which contains an unbroken $U(1)'$ gauge interaction kinetically mixed with standard $U(1)_Y$. Mirror dark matter provides a well motivated example of such a theory. We show that the DAMA, CoGeNT and CRESST-II experiments can be simultaneously explained within this hidden sector framework. An experiment in the Southern Hemisphere is needed to test this explanation via a diurnal modulation signal.
Mirror dark matter, and other similar dissipative dark matter candidates, need an energy source to stabilize dark matter halos in spiral galaxies. It has been suggested previously that ordinary supernovae can potentially supply the required energy. By matching the energy supplied to the halo from supernovae to that lost due to radiative cooling, we here derive a rough scaling relation, $R_{SN} \propto ρ_0 r_0^2$ ($R_{SN}$ is the supernova rate and $ρ_0, \ r_0$ the dark matter central density and core radius). Such a relation is consistent with dark matter properties inferred from studies of sp…
Mirror universe is a fundamental way to restore parity symmetry in weak interactions. It naturally provides the lightest mirror nucleon as a unique GeV-scale asymmetric dark matter particle candidate. We conjecture that the mirror parity is respected by the fundamental interaction Lagrangian, and its possible soft breaking arises only from non-interaction terms in the gauge-singlet sector. We realize the spontaneous mirror parity violation by minimizing the vacuum Higgs potential, and derive the corresponding Higgs spectrum. We demonstrate that the common origin of CP violation in the visible …
If mirror matter exists but cannot comprise all of the dark matter (DM) in the universe, we can expect that the additional DM component may only interact with the other sectors gravitationally. One of the natural candidate of a gravitationally interacting component is a primordial black hole (PBH). Therefore, if mirror matter exists but cannot comprise all of the DM in the universe, the existence of PBH may be expected as a candidate of the additional DM component. In this case, the remaining DM components may be PBHs or $SU(3)\times SU(2)\times U(1)$ singlet particles from PBH. We show constr…
Dissipative dark matter, such as mirror dark matter and related hidden sector dark matter candidates, requires an energy source to stabilize dark matter halos in spiral galaxies. It has been proposed previously that supernovae could be the source of this energy. Recently, it has been argued that this mechanism might explain two galactic scaling relations inferred from observations of spiral galaxies. One of which is that $ρ_0 r_0$ is roughly constant, and another relates the galactic luminosity to $r_0$. [$ρ_0$ is the dark matter central density and $r_0$ is the core radius.] Here we derive eq…
Mirror dark matter interacting with ordinary matter via photon-mirror photon kinetic mixing can explain the DAMA, CoGeNT and CRESSTII direct detection experiments. This explanation requires kinetic mixing of strength $ε\sim 10^{-9}$. Such kinetic mixing will have important implications for early Universe cosmology. We calculate the additional relativistic energy density at recombination, $δN_{eff} [CMB]$. We also calculate the effects for big bang nucleosynthesis, $δN_{eff} [BBN]$. Current hints that both $δN_{eff} [CMB]$ and $δN_{eff} [BBN]$ are non-zero and positive can be accommodated withi…
A simple way to accommodate dark matter is to postulate the existence of a hidden sector. That is, a set of new particles and forces interacting with the known particles predominantly via gravity. In general this leads to a large set of unknown parameters, however if the hidden sector is an exact copy of the standard model sector, then an enhanced symmetry arises. This symmetry, which can be interpreted as space-time parity, connects each ordinary particle ($e, \ ν, \ p, \ n, \ γ, ....)$ with a mirror partner ($e', \ ν', \ p', \ n', \ γ', ...)$. If this symmetry is completely unbroken, then th…
One of the still viable candidates for the dark matter is the so-called mirror matter. Its cosmological and astrophysical implications were widely studied in many aspects, pointing out the importance to go further with research and refine the studies. In particular, the Big Bang nucleosynthesis provides a strong test for every dark matter candidate, since it is well studied and involves relatively few free parameters. The necessity of accurate studies of primordial nucleosynthesis with mirror matter has then emerged. In order to fill this lack, I present here the results of accurate numerical …
The CoGeNT collaboration has recently made available new data collected over a period of 15 months. In addition to more accurately measuring the spectrum of nuclear recoil candidate events they have announced evidence for an annual modulation signal. We examine the implications of these new results within the context of mirror/hidden sector dark matter models. We find that the new CoGeNT data can be explained within this framework with parameter space consistent with the DAMA annual modulation signal, and the null results of the other experiments. We also point out that the CoGeNT spectrum at …
We study the mirror world with dark matter arising from the thermal freeze-out of the lightest, stable mirror particle -- the mirror electron. The dark matter abundance is achieved for mirror electrons of mass 225 GeV, fixing the mirror electroweak scale near $10^8$ GeV. This highly predictive scenario is realized by an axion that acts as a portal between the two sectors through its coupling to the QCD and mirror QCD sectors. The axion is more massive than the standard QCD axion due to additional contributions from mirror strong dynamics. Still, the strong CP problem is solved by this "heavy" …
Black holes with masses of $\rm 10^6-10^9~M_{\odot}$ dwell in the centers of most galaxies, but their formation mechanisms are not well known. A subdominant dissipative component of dark matter with similar properties to the ordinary baryons, known as mirror dark matter, may collapse to form massive black holes during the epoch of first galaxies formation. In this study, we explore the possibility of massive black hole formation via this alternative scenario. We perform three-dimensional cosmological simulations for four distinct halos and compare their thermal, chemical and dynamical evolutio…
Up-to-date estimates of the cosmological parameters are presented as a result of numerical simulations of cosmic microwave background and large scale structure, considering a flat Universe in which the dark matter is made entirely or partly of mirror matter, and the primordial perturbations are scalar adiabatic and in linear regime. A statistical analysis using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method allows to obtain constraints of the cosmological parameters. As a result, we show that a Universe with pure mirror dark matter is statistically equivalent to the case of an admixture with cold dark ma…
Existence of a mirror world in the universe is a fundamental way to restore the observed parity violation in weak interactions and provides the lightest mirror nucleon as a unique GeV-scale dark matter particle candidate. The visible and mirror worlds share the same spacetime of the universe and are connected by a unique space-inversion symmetry -- the mirror parity (P). We conjecture that the mirror parity is respected by the fundamental interaction Lagrangian, and study its spontaneous breaking from minimizing the Higgs vacuum potential. The domain wall problem is resolved by a unique soft b…
We find that a uniform scaling of the gravitational free-fall rates and photon-electron scattering rate leaves most dimensionless cosmological observables nearly invariant. This result opens up a new approach to reconciling cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure observations with high values of the Hubble constant $H_0$: Find a cosmological model in which the scaling transformation can be realized without violating any measurements of quantities not protected by the symmetry. A "mirror world" dark sector allows for effective scaling of the gravitational free-fall rates while res…
We study the implications of asymmetric dark matter on neutron stars. we construct a "mixed neutron star" model composed of ordinary baryons and of asymmetric dark matter baryons. We derive the general relativistic structure equations for each specie, the equation for the mass within a given radius, and the redshift as function of radius. We present one specific numerical model as an illustrative example. In this example, the mass of the dark neutron equals half that of the ordinary neutron. The main results are: a total mass of $3.74 M_{\odot}$, a total mass within the neutron-sphere equaling…
We show that cold dark matter particles interacting through a Yukawa potential could naturally explain the recently observed cores in dwarf galaxies without affecting the dynamics of objects with a much larger velocity dispersion, such as clusters of galaxies. The velocity dependence of the associated cross-section as well as the possible exothermic nature of the interaction alleviates earlier concerns about strongly interacting dark matter. Dark matter evaporation in low-mass objects might explain the observed deficit of satellite galaxies in the Milky Way halo and have important implications…
The understanding of the origin of dark matter has great importance for cosmology and particle physics. Several interesting extensions of the standard model dealing with solution of this problem motivate the concept of hidden sectors consisting of SU(3)xSU(2)_LxU(1)_Y singlet fields. Among these models, the mirror matter model is certainly one of the most interesting. The model explains the origin of parity violation in weak interactions, it could also explain the baryon asymmetry of the Universe and provide a natural ground for the explanation of dark matter. The mirror matter could have a po…
We comment on the paper "Dark Matter collisions with the Human Body" by K. Freese and C. Savage (Phys. Lett. B 717, 25 (2012) [arXiv:1204.1339]) and describe a dark matter model for which the results of the previous paper do not quite apply. Within this mirror dark matter model, potentially hazardous objects, mirror micrometeorites, can exist and may lead to diseases triggered by multiple mutations, such as cancer, though with very low probability.
In a Mirror Twin World with a maximally symmetric Higgs sector the little hierarchy of the Standard Model can be significantly mitigated, perhaps displacing the cutoff scale above the LHC reach. We show that consistency with observations requires that the Z2 parity exchanging the Standard Model with its mirror be broken in the Yukawa couplings. A minimal such effective field theory, with this sole Z2 breaking, can generate the Z2 breaking in the Higgs sector necessary for the Twin Higgs mechanism. The theory has constrained and correlated signals in Higgs decays, direct Dark Matter Detection a…
The mirror dark matter (MDM) model of Berezhiani et al. has been shown to reproduce observed galactic rotational curves for a variety of spiral galaxies, and has been presented as an alternative to cold dark matter (CDM) models. We investigate possible additional tests involving the properties of stellar orbits, which may be used to discriminate between the two models. We demonstrate that in MDM and CDM models fitted equally well to a galactic rotational curve, one generally expects predictable differences in escape speeds from the disc. The recent radial velocity (RAVE) survey of the Milky Wa…
The oscillation of the neutron $n$ into mirror neutron $n'$, its partner from dark mirror sector, can gradually transform an ordinary neutron star into a mixed star consisting in part of mirror dark matter. The implications of the reverse process taking place in the mirror neutron stars depend on the sign of baryon asymmetry in mirror sector. Namely, if it is negative, as predicted by certain baryogenesis scenarios, then $\bar{n}'-\bar{n}$ transitions create a core of our antimatter gravitationally trapped in the mirror star interior. The annihilation of accreted gas on such antimatter cores c…
The interaction between the dark/mirror sector and the ordinary sector is considered, where the two sectors interact with each other by sharing the same QCD axion field. This feature makes the mixing between ordinary and dark/mirror photons in ordinary and dark electromagnetic fields possible. Perturbative solutions of the equations of motion describing the evolution of fields in ordinary and dark external magnetic fields are found. User-friendly quantities such as transition probability rates and Stokes parameters are derived. Possible astrophysical and cosmological applications of this model…
In cold dark matter cosmologies, the most massive dark matter halos are predicted to undergo rapid growth at z<1. While there is the expectation that massive galaxies will also rapidly grow via merging, recent observational studies conclude that the stellar masses of the most massive galaxies grow by just 30 percent at z<1. We have used the observed space density and clustering of z<1 red galaxies in Bootes to determine how these galaxies populate dark matter halos. In the most massive dark matter halos, central galaxy stellar mass is proportional to halo mass to the power of a third and much …
In the context of the current $Λ$CDM cosmological model small dark matter haloes are abundant and satellites of dwarf galaxies are expected to be predominantly dark. Since low mass galaxies have smaller baryon fractions interactions with these satellites may leave particularly dramatic imprints. We uncover the influence of the most massive of these dark satellites on disky dwarf galaxies and the possible dynamical and morphological transformations that result from these interactions. We use a suite of carefully set-up, controlled simulations of isolated dwarf galaxies. The primary dwarf galaxi…
We explore a model introduced by Cyr-Racine, Ge, and Knox (arXiv:2107.13000(2)) that resolves the Hubble tension by invoking a ``mirror world" dark sector with energy density a fixed fraction of the ``ordinary" sector of Lambda-CDM. Although it reconciles cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure observations with local measurements of the Hubble constant, the model requires a value of the primordial Helium mass fraction that is discrepant with observations and with the predictions of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN). We consider a variant of the model with standard Helium mass fract…
Low luminosity dwarf galaxies provide stringent constraints on the nature of dark matter. Establishing these constraints depends on precise kinematic measurements of individual stars. In this overview for non-specialists, we describe current and future prospects for three unique tests of dark matter using resolved stellar kinematics in low luminosity galaxies: the overall number of satellite galaxies around the Milky Way, dark-matter annihilation radiation from dwarf galaxies, and their internal density profiles. We then assess the prospects for meaningfully testing theories of dark matter bas…
In this paper I report the highlights of the talk: "Universal properties in galaxies and cored Dark Matter profiles", given at: Colloquium Lectures, Ecole Internationale d'Astrophysique Daniel Chalonge. The 14th Paris Cosmology Colloquium 2010 "The Standard Model of the Universe: Theory and Observations".
A dozen most luminous galaxies at distances up to 10 Mpc from the Local Group are moving away from the group forming the local expansion flow of giants. We use recent Hubble Space Telescope data on the local giants and their numerous fainter companions to study the dynamical structure and evolutionary trends of the flow. It is demonstrated that the dynamics of the flow is dominated by local dark energy. Keywords: Galaxies, groups and clusters of galaxies; local flows of galaxies; dark energy.
We analyze the behavior of the scalar field as dark energy of the Universe in a static world of galaxies and clusters of galaxies. We find the analytical solutions of evolution equations of the density and velocity perturbations of dark matter and dark energy, which interact only gravitationally, along with the perturbations of metric in a static world with background Minkowski metric. Using them it was shown that quintessential and phantom dark energy in the static world of galaxies and clusters of galaxies is gravitationally stable and can only oscillate by the influence of self-gravity. In …
