Banca de DEFESA: JACINTO PAULO DA SILVA NETO

Uma banca de DEFESA de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : JACINTO PAULO DA SILVA NETO
DATE: 27/03/2026
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Remota
TITLE:

Room for Thermal Dark Matter: From WIMPs to Sub-GeV Scales

KEY WORDS:

Dark Matter, Particle Physics, Primordial Black Holes, Gravitational Waves, Phenomenology

PAGES: 212
BIG AREA: Ciências Exatas e da Terra
AREA: Física
SUBÁREA: Física das Partículas Elementares e Campos
SUMMARY:

Although the Standard Model of particle physics is successful in describing three of the four known fundamental forces, it is unable to explain the existence of dark matter, which makes up about 85% of the total matter in the Universe. We examine the possibility of thermal dark matter particles in the context of current experimental bounds, both in the standard radiation domination era and non-standard cosmological scenarios. Our main aim is to chart the landscape of thermal dark matter, from the standard weak-scale weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) to sub-GeV scales, by comparing theoretical models with experimental data from direct detection, indirect searches, and collider experiments. We provide a solid theoretical framework for dark matter production by deriving the Boltzmann equation and studying the freeze-out process. Later, we investigate non-standard cosmological evolutions by introducing an early matter domination era, which can significantly alter the final relic abundance through modified Hubble expansion rates and entropy injection. We also study various specific Standard Model extensions, such as Higgs portal models, spin-1 mediator models such as the minimal $B-L$ model, and leptophilic models $L_{\mu}-L_{\tau}$. We demonstrate that, while the traditional WIMP parameter space is becoming increasingly constrained, viable regions persist, particularly in resonance and coannihilation regimes. Furthermore, the inclusion of an early matter-dominated era is shown to enable scenarios previously thought to be excluded by standard radiation-domination assumptions, rendering both WIMP-scale and sub-GeV candidates consistent with observations. Finally, we conclude that thermal dark matter remains a robust and predictive framework for both the WIMP paradigm and sub-GeV scales. Although the former faces strong limits, the current null results do not exclude it, but instead, have matured it, highlighting the necessity of multi-messenger probes, including future gravitational wave detectors, to fully explore the dark sector.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externo à Instituição - AION VIANA
Presidente - 1043096 - FARINALDO DA SILVA QUEIROZ
Externo à Instituição - GIORGIO ARCADI
Externo à Instituição - JAILSON SOUZA DE ALCANIZ
Interno - 2492756 - JOAO MEDEIROS DE ARAUJO
Interno - 1354851 - MANOEL SILVA DE VASCONCELOS
Externo ao Programa - 3496054 - MATHEUS MAIA DE ARAUJO PAIXAO - UFRN