Article

# Coupled Boltzmann calculation of mixed axion/neutralino cold dark matter production in the early universe

(Impact Factor: 5.81). 10/2011; 2012(01). DOI: 10.1088/1475-7516/2012/01/036
Source: arXiv

ABSTRACT

We calculate the relic abundance of mixed axion/neutralino cold dark matter
which arises in R-parity conserving supersymmetric (SUSY) models wherein the
strong CP problem is solved by the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) mechanism with a
concommitant axion/saxion/axino supermultiplet. By numerically solving the
coupled Boltzmann equations, we include the combined effects of 1. thermal
axino production with cascade decays to a neutralino LSP, 2. thermal saxion
production and production via coherent oscillations along with cascade decays
and entropy injection, 3. thermal neutralino production and re-annihilation
after both axino and saxion decays, 4. gravitino production and decay and 5.
axion production both thermally and via oscillations. For SUSY models with too
high a standard neutralino thermal abundance, we find the combined effect of
SUSY PQ particles is not enough to lower the neutralino abundance down to its
measured value, while at the same time respecting bounds on late-decaying
neutral particles from BBN. However, models with a standard neutralino
underabundance can now be allowed with either neutralino or axion domination of
dark matter, and furthermore, these models can allow the PQ breaking scale f_a
to be pushed up into the 10^{14}-10^{15} GeV range, which is where it is
typically expected to be in string theory models.

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• "Axions and WIMPs (say, neutralinos) could both exist independently of being the dominant component of the DM. Moreover, the possibility of a mixed axion-WIMP DM is a scenario that has additional attractive features [16] [17]. If our galactic DM halo is made of WIMPs, they could interact with nuclei and produce detectable nuclear recoils in the target material of underground terrestrial experiments. "
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