A white paper on keV sterile neutrino dark matter

R. Adhikari, M. Agostini, N. Anh Ky, T. Araki, M. Archidiacono, M. Bahr, J. Baur, J. Behrens, F. Bezrukov, P. S. Bhupal Dev, D. Borah, A. Boyarsky, A. De Gouvea, C. A.D.S. Pires, H. J. De Vega, A. G. Dias, P. Di Bari, Z. Djurcic, K. Dolde, H. DorrerM. Durero, O. Dragoun, M. Drewes, G. Drexlin, Ch E. Düllmann, K. Eberhardt, S. Eliseev, C. Enss, N. W. Evans, A. Faessler, P. Filianin, V. Fischer, A. Fleischmann, J. A. Formaggio, J. Franse, F. M. Fraenkle, C. S. Frenk, G. Fuller, L. Gastaldo, A. Garzilli, C. Giunti, F. Glück, M. C. Goodman, M. C. Gonzalez-Garcia, D. Gorbunov, J. Hamann, V. Hannen, S. Hannestad, S. H. Hansen, C. Hassel, J. Heeck, F. Hofmann, T. Houdy, A. Huber, D. Iakubovskyi, A. Ianni, A. Ibarra, R. Jacobsson, T. Jeltema, J. Jochum, S. Kempf, T. Kieck, M. Korzeczek, V. Kornoukhov, T. Lachenmaier, M. Laine, Paul George Langacker, T. Lasserre, J. Lesgourgues, D. Lhuillier, Y. F. Li, W. Liao, A. W. Long, M. Maltoni, G. Mangano, N. E. Mavromatos, N. Menci, A. Merle, S. Mertens, A. Mirizzi, B. Monreal, A. Nozik, A. Neronov, V. Niro, Y. Novikov, L. Oberauer, E. Otten, N. Palanque-Delabrouille, M. Pallavicini, V. S. Pantuev, E. Papastergis, S. Parke, S. Pascoli, S. Pastor, A. Patwardhan, A. Pilaftsis, D. C. Radford, P. C.O. Ranitzsch, O. Rest, D. J. Robinson, P. S. Rodrigues Da Silva, O. Ruchayskiy, N. G. Sanchez, M. Sasaki, N. Saviano, A. Schneider, F. Schneider, T. Schwetz, S. Schönert, S. Scholl, F. Shankar, R. Shrock, N. Steinbrink, L. Strigari, F. Suekane, B. Suerfu, R. Takahashi, N. Thi Hong Van, I. Tkachev, M. Totzauer, Y. Tsai, Christopher George Tully, K. Valerius, J. W.F. Valle, D. Venos, M. Viel, M. Vivier, M. Y. Wang, C. Weinheimer, K. Wendt, L. Winslow, J. Wolf, M. Wurm, Z. Xing, S. Zhou, K. Zuber

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

395 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present a comprehensive review of keV-scale sterile neutrino Dark Matter, collecting views and insights from all disciplines involved - cosmology, astrophysics, nuclear, and particle physics - in each case viewed from both theoretical and experimental/observational perspectives. After reviewing the role of active neutrinos in particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, we focus on sterile neutrinos in the context of the Dark Matter puzzle. Here, we first review the physics motivation for sterile neutrino Dark Matter, based on challenges and tensions in purely cold Dark Matter scenarios. We then round out the discussion by critically summarizing all known constraints on sterile neutrino Dark Matter arising from astrophysical observations, laboratory experiments, and theoretical considerations. In this context, we provide a balanced discourse on the possibly positive signal from X-ray observations. Another focus of the paper concerns the construction of particle physics models, aiming to explain how sterile neutrinos of keV-scale masses could arise in concrete settings beyond the Standard Model of elementary particle physics. The paper ends with an extensive review of current and future astrophysical and laboratory searches, highlighting new ideas and their experimental challenges, as well as future perspectives for the discovery of sterile neutrinos.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number025
JournalJournal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Volume2017
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 13 2017

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics

Keywords

  • Cosmological neutrinos
  • Dark matter experiments
  • Dark matter theory
  • Particle physics - cosmology connection

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