Johannes Herms (IPMU)

11:00am Wednesday May 28, 2025
Webinar

Sub-GeV thermal relics through the light scalar doublet portal

Thermal relic particles are a prime dark matter candidate. They have traditionally been searched for around the electroweak scale, but can be viable down to masses of a few MeV. This talk outlines the two challenges faced by the sub-GeV thermal relic scenario, and how overcoming them shapes the study of sub-GeV thermal relic models. Models of light thermal relic dark matter can be characterized by the new light mediator that they typically require to enable sufficient dark matter depletion in the early Universe. I present the possibility of a light mediator originating from a second Higgs doublet, and explore its consequences for DM production, neutrino masses, DM indirect detection as well as the LHC.