2022/10/03 by Bibhushan Shakya, Shakya, Bibhushan
Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #FOS: Physical sciences #High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2210.01215
openalex publication_date 2022/10/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
A novel paradigm for thermal dark matter (DM), termed "bouncing dark matter", is presented. In canonical thermal DM scenarios, the DM abundance falls exponentially as the temperature drops below the mass of DM, until thermal freezeout occurs. This note explores a broader class of thermal DM models that are exceptions to this rule, where the DM abundance can deviate from the exponentially falling curve, and even rise exponentially, while in thermal equilibrium. Such scenarios can feature present day DM annihilation cross sections much larger than the canonical thermal target, improving the prospects for indirect detection of DM annihilation signals.