The dark universe: the interplay of cosmological moduli, axions, and the MSSM

Wiley Deal, Robert

The dark universe: the interplay of cosmological moduli, axions, and the MSSM

dc.contributor.advisor	Baer, Howard
dc.contributor.author	Wiley Deal, Robert
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Sinha, Kuver
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Abbott, Brad
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Mullen, Kieran
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Przebinda, Tomasz
dc.date.accessioned	2023-05-05T14:53:25Z
dc.date.available	2023-05-05T14:53:25Z
dc.date.issued	2023-05
dc.date.manuscript	2023-04
dc.description.abstract	In this work, we introduce two effective field theories which parameterize a light modulus field interacting both with the MSSM ($\phi$MSSM) and with the MSSM combined with an additional supersymmetric DFSZ axion ($\phi$PQMSSM). All two-body decays of the modulus are cataloged and connected to explicit string scenarios, with all model-independent decay widths calculated incorporating mixing and phase-space effects for the first time. Dark matter and dark radiation production are studied in both models for a subset of string scenarios, with comments provided on expectations for the remaining scenarios. Quite generally, we find that many string scenarios with a modulus-driven early matter dominated period overproduce dark matter and/or dark radiation. The overproduction of dark matter may be remedied with a sufficiently large modulus mass, however various consistency conditions show that most scenarios are incompatible with weak-scale supersymmetry and with a DFSZ-type axion, at least without additional model-building. We also study statistical properties of the Peccei-Quinn scale $f_a$ and the derived value of the SUSY $\mu$-term in the string landscape. Here, we find the predicted value of $f_a$ is in the cosmological sweet-spot for axion dark matter, while the predicted higgsino masses are slightly above current LHC bounds. Additionally, we study the predicted nature of viable dark matter candidates in explicit inflationary scenarios in string theory, finding a WIMP in K\"{a}hler inflation and open string axions in fibre inflation to be natural dark matter candidates.	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://shareok.org/handle/11244/337550
dc.language	en_US	en_US
dc.rights	Attribution 4.0 International	*
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/	*
dc.subject	String Cosmology	en_US
dc.subject	Dark Matter	en_US
dc.subject	Moduli	en_US
dc.subject	High Energy Physics	en_US
dc.thesis.degree	Ph.D.	en_US
dc.title	The dark universe: the interplay of cosmological moduli, axions, and the MSSM	en_US
ou.group	Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences::Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy	en_US
shareok.orcid	0000-0002-3266-3584	en_US