Axion–Sterile Neutrino Dark Matter

2021/04/30 by Alberto Salvio, Simone Scollo
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics #Axion #Baryogenesis #Baryon asymmetry #Cosmology #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Dark energy #Dark matter #Dark radiation #Electron #Electroweak interaction #Inflation (cosmology) #Inflaton #Lepton #Neutrino #Neutrino oscillation #Nuclear physics #Particle physics #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #Physics #Standard Model (mathematical formulation) #Sterile neutrino #Strong CP problem #Theoretical physics #astro-ph.CO #hep-ph #hep-th

paper · pdf · doi:10.3390/universe7100354

published as Universe 7 (2021) 354 · v3: 24 pages, 6 figures (more discussions and references added, published version)

arxiv created 2021/09/23 · openalex publication_date 2021/09/23 · arxiv updated 2021/09/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Extending the standard model with three right-handed neutrinos and a simple QCD axion sector can account for neutrino oscillations, dark matter and baryon asymmetry; at the same time, it solves the strong CP problem, stabilizes the electroweak vacuum and can implement critical Higgs inflation (satisfying all current observational bounds). We perform here a general analysis of dark matter (DM) in such a model, which we call the aνMSM. Although critical Higgs inflation features a (quasi) inflection point of the inflaton potential, we show that DM cannot receive a contribution from primordial black holes in the aνMSM. This leads to a multicomponent axion–sterile neutrino DM and allows us to relate the axion parameters, such as the axion decay constant, to the neutrino parameters. We include several DM production mechanisms: the axion production via misalignment and decay of topological defects as well as the sterile neutrino production through the resonant and non-resonant mechanisms and in the recently proposed CPT-symmetric universe.

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