2025/06/04 by Kumar, Ranjeet, Srivastava, Rahul · 3 citations
#FOS: Physical sciences #General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc) #High Energy Physics - Experiment (hep-ex) #High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2506.04370
We propose a novel theoretical framework in which proton decay is induced by the dark matter. While proton decay requires violation of the B+L symmetry, dark matter stability often relies on the presence of an unbroken symmetry. These seemingly distinct phenomena are unified through the global U(1)B+L symmetry inherent in the Standard Model. Its spontaneous breaking leads to a residual Z4 symmetry, which ensures dark matter stability and forbids proton decay at tree level. Consequently, proton decay occurs at the one-loop level, mediated by dark sector particles. The proton lifetime is linked with the dark matter, the heavier dark matter mass enhancing proton stability, and vice versa. The O(TeV) masses of the mediators remain consistent with current proton lifetime limits, making them accessible to experimental searches. In particular, the leptoquark mediating proton decay, carrying exotic B+L charges, leads to a distinctive signature in collider searches. By intertwining proton decay, dark matter stability, and collider phenomenology, this framework offers distinctive signatures that can be probed in current and future experiments.