Higgs sector extension of the neutrino minimal standard model with thermal freeze-in production mechanism

Abstract

The neutrino minimal Standard Model ({\nu}MSM) is the minimum extension of the standard model. In this model, the Dodelson-Widrow mechanism (DW) produces keV sterile neutrino dark matter (DM) and the degenerate GeV heavy Majorana neutrinos lead to leptogenesis. However, the DW mechanism has been ruled out by Lyman-{\alpha} bounds and X-ray constraints. An alternative scenario that evades these constraints has been proposed, where the sterile neutrino DM is generated by the thermal freeze-in mechanism via a singlet scalar. In this paper, we consider a Higgs sector extension of the {\nu}MSM to improve dark matter sectors and leptogenesis scenarios, focusing on the thermal freeze-in production mechanism. We discuss various thermal freeze-in scenarios for the production of keV-MeV sterile neutrino DM with a singlet scalar, and reinvestigate the Lyman-{\alpha} bounds and the X-ray constraints on the parameter regions. Furthermore, we propose thermal freeze-in leptogenesis scenarios in the extended {\nu}MSM. The singlet scalar needs to be TeV scale in order to generate the observed DM relic density and baryon number density with the thermal freeze-in production mechanism.

Comments: 31 pages, 17 figures, Published version in Phys. Rev. D