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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| Online-Zugang: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.06315 |
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| _version_ | 1866908945468096512 |
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| author | Cheng, Hsin-Chia Jiang, Xu-Hui Li, Lingfeng Salvioni, Ennio |
| author_facet | Cheng, Hsin-Chia Jiang, Xu-Hui Li, Lingfeng Salvioni, Ennio |
| contents | We present a scenario for GeV-scale thermal dark matter that can only be tested with accelerator experiments. Dark matter is composed of dark pions arising from a confining strong interaction in the dark sector. The thermal relic density is obtained through the interplay of up-scatterings of dark pions to heavier dark mesons (the dark counterparts of the kaons and $η$), and decays of the unstable dark $η$ to Standard Model particles. This mechanism is analogous to a playground slide, where one climbs up first and then slides down with a release of energy. We illustrate the scenario with a minimal model based on the SU(3)/SO(3) coset, where dark matter is stabilized by a U(1) flavor symmetry. The correct relic density is obtained with dark meson mass splittings of 10% to 50% and a dark-$η$ lifetime shorter than $10^3\,\mathrm{m}/c$. Direct and indirect dark matter searches are mostly ineffective, as a consequence of the charge conjugation symmetry of the stabilizing U(1). The most striking signals arise at the LHC, from the production of dark showers containing long-lived dark $η$'s that decay to visible final states. These signatures crucially depend on the portal interaction connecting the dark sector to the Standard Model. We show that several well-known portals can complete the scenario above the weak scale, and outline the expected signals in each case. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_06315 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Dark Matter on a Slide Cheng, Hsin-Chia Jiang, Xu-Hui Li, Lingfeng Salvioni, Ennio High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Experiment We present a scenario for GeV-scale thermal dark matter that can only be tested with accelerator experiments. Dark matter is composed of dark pions arising from a confining strong interaction in the dark sector. The thermal relic density is obtained through the interplay of up-scatterings of dark pions to heavier dark mesons (the dark counterparts of the kaons and $η$), and decays of the unstable dark $η$ to Standard Model particles. This mechanism is analogous to a playground slide, where one climbs up first and then slides down with a release of energy. We illustrate the scenario with a minimal model based on the SU(3)/SO(3) coset, where dark matter is stabilized by a U(1) flavor symmetry. The correct relic density is obtained with dark meson mass splittings of 10% to 50% and a dark-$η$ lifetime shorter than $10^3\,\mathrm{m}/c$. Direct and indirect dark matter searches are mostly ineffective, as a consequence of the charge conjugation symmetry of the stabilizing U(1). The most striking signals arise at the LHC, from the production of dark showers containing long-lived dark $η$'s that decay to visible final states. These signatures crucially depend on the portal interaction connecting the dark sector to the Standard Model. We show that several well-known portals can complete the scenario above the weak scale, and outline the expected signals in each case. |
| title | Dark Matter on a Slide |
| topic | High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Experiment |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.06315 |