Revisiting Supernova 1987A constraints on dark photons

Abstract

We revisit constraints on dark photons with masses below ∼ 100 MeV from the observations of Supernova 1987A. If dark photons are produced in sufficient quantity, they reduce the amount of energy emitted in the form of neutrinos, in conflict with observations. For the first time, we include the effects of finite temperature and density on the kineticmixing parameter, , in this environment. This causes the constraints on to weaken with the dark-photon mass below ∼ 15 MeV. For large-enough values of , it is well known that dark photons can be reabsorbed within the supernova. Since the rates of reabsorption processes decrease as the dark-photon energy increases, we point out that dark photons with energies above the Wien peak can escape without scattering, contributing more to energy loss than is possible assuming a blackbody spectrum. Furthermore, we estimate the systematic uncertainties on the cooling bounds by deriving constraints assuming one analytic and four different simulated temperature and density profiles of the proto-neutron star. Finally, we estimate also the systematic uncertainty on the bound by varying the distance across which dark photons must propagate from their point of production to be able to affect the star. This work clarifies the bounds from SN1987A on the dark-photon parameter space.

Searches for decays of new particles in the DUNE Multi-Purpose near Detector

“…4.3, we display the regions where we expect at least 10 (blue) and 100 (red) such decays, assuming ten years of data collection. In addition, we show the excluded region of this parameter space constrained by E141, Orsay, NuCal, and E137 [56][57][58][59][60][61][62] and from emission during Supernova 1987A [72] in shaded gray. These regions correspond to a total number of decays being 10 or 100 -in order to determine the number of a certain type of decay, one must include the branching fraction into e + e − , µ + µ − , or hadrons shown in Fig.…”

Fourth Exception in the Calculation of Relic Abundances

“…5. The scalar mediator is constrained by direct production in beam dump experiments [47][48][49][50], BaBar [51], and supernovae [52][53][54][55][56][57]. Since φ couples to electrons but not neutrinos, it modifies their relative temperatures after the weak interactions decouple, changing the effective number of neutrinos, N eff [58].…”

Baryogenesis from a dark first-order phase transition

“…The viable dark photon parameter space for the neutron dark matter scenario is shown in Fig. 1 (Left) with current constraints from experiments [60,61], supernovae [62,63], and BBN [64], as well as the projected sensitivities of upcoming experiments including 2 Both the dark neutron charge radius and the possible Higgs portal give subdominant contributions to this scattering. 3 This is still subject to uncertainties given disagreements with the NPLQCD collaboration [56,57] (with a possible resolution [58]), and the calculations are in the flavor SU (3) limit.…”

“…In this case, it becomes an ideal resonant self-interacting dark matter to Viable dark photon parameter space for asymmetric dark hadron dark matter. Existing constraints on dark photons from experiments [60,61], supernovae [62,63], and BBN [64] are dark gray. The constraints specific to our models, namely that m γ ≤ m π 0 /2 and that the dark photon decays before SM neutrinos decouple around T ∼ 3 MeV, are in light blue and red, respectively.…”