The basic idea of this work is to achieve the observed relic density of a non-thermal dark matter(DM) and its connection with Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) via
additional relativistic degrees of freedom which are simultaneously generated during
the period T
BBN to TCMB
from a long-lived dark sector particle.
To realize this phenomena we minimally extend the type-I seesaw scenario with a Dirac
fermion singlet(χ) and a complex scalar singlet (φ) which transform
non-trivially under an unbroken symmetry Z̶
3. χ being the lightest
particle in the dark sector acts as a stable dark matter candidate while the next to
lightest state φ operates like a long lived dark scalar particle. The initial
density of φ can be thermally produced through either self-interacting number
changing processes (3φ ⟶ 2φ) within dark sector or the standard
annihilation to SM particles (2φ ⟶ 2 SM).
The late time (after neutrino decoupling) non-thermal decay of φ can produce
dark matter in association with active neutrinos. The presence of extra
relativistic neutrino degrees of freedom at the time of CMB can have a
significant impact on ΔNeff. Thus the precise measurement of
ΔNeff by current PLANCK 2018 collaboration and future experiments
like SPT-3G and CMB-S4 can indirectly probe this non-thermal dark matter scenario
which is otherwise completely secluded due to its tiny coupling with the standard
model.
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