A1 Journal article (refereed)
Despicable dark relics : generated by gravity with unconstrained masses (2019)

Fairbairn, M., Kainulainen, K., Markkanen, T., & Nurmi, S. (2019). Despicable dark relics : generated by gravity with unconstrained masses. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2019(4), Article 005. https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2019/04/005

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Fairbairn, Malcolm; Kainulainen, Kimmo; Markkanen, Tommi; Nurmi, Sami

Journal or series: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

ISSN: 1475-7516

eISSN: 1475-7516

Publication year: 2019

Volume: 2019

Issue number: 4

Article number: 005

Publisher: IOP Publishing; Sissa

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2019/04/005

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access:

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/66887

Abstract

We demonstrate the existence of a generic, efficient and purely gravitational channel producing a significant abundance of dark relics during reheating after the end of inflation. The mechanism is present for any inert scalar with the non-minimal curvature coupling ξ Rχ2 and the relic production is efficient for modest values ξ = Script O(1). The observed dark matter abundance can be reached for a broad range of relic masses extending from m ~ 1 k eV to m ~ 108 GeV, depending on the scale of inflation and the dark sector couplings. Frustratingly, such relics escape direct, indirect and collider searches since no non-gravitational couplings to visible matter are needed.

Keywords: dark matter; quantum field theory; cosmic inflation

Free keywords: dark matter theory; quantum field theory on curved space; inflation

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Related projects

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2019

JUFO rating: 1