Theory HEP Seminar

Doors to Darkness: Phenomenology of Dark Matter Portal Interactions

Saniya Heeba

McGill University

The Dark Matter question has taken centre-stage in modern-day particle physics and cosmology. One way to think about dark matter is using the language of the so-called portal models, in which a single type of interaction connects the DM particle to the SM. Portal interactions provide a simple yet rich phenomenological structure to anchor our studies of DM. In this talk, I will discuss scalar and vector portal models, focusing on both dark matter production and detection. I will talk about beyond-WIMP scenarios, for instance, when the DM density is set by resonant annihilations, or through the freeze-in mechanism where the coupling between the dark and the visible sectors is extremely small. I will expand on techniques to improve relic density calculations by discussing finite-temperature and other in-medium corrections. In terms of detection, I will review accelerator and direct searches for DM and ties these to the models discussed, exemplifying the complementarity between terrestrial and astrophysical searches for DM.