Dark Matter Catalyzed Baryon Destruction
N3AS-24-024
Dark Matter Catalyzed Baryon Destruction
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Abstract
WIMP-type dark matter may have additional interactions that break baryon number, leading to induced nucleon decays which are subject to direct experimental constraints from proton decay experiments. In this work, we analyze a possibility of continuous baryon destruction, deriving strong limits from the dark matter accumulating inside old neutron stars, as such a process leads to excess heat generation. We construct the simplest particle dark matter model that breaks baryon and lepton numbers separately but conserves 
. Virtual exchange by DM particles in this model results in di-nucleon decay via 
and 
processes.
Associated Fellows
