{"paper":{"title":"Limits to gauge coupling in the dark sector set by the non-observation of instanton-induced decay of Super-Heavy Dark Matter in the Pierre Auger Observatory data","license":"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/","headline":"","cross_cats":["astro-ph.CO","hep-ph"],"primary_cat":"astro-ph.HE","authors_text":"A. Almela, A.A. Watson, A. Bakalova, A. Balaceanu, A. Bueno, A. Castellina, A.C. Cobos Cerutti, A.C. Fauth, A. Coleman, A. Condorelli, A.C. Rovero, A. Del Popolo, A. Di Matteo, A.D. Supanitsky, A. Etchegoyen, A. Filip\\v{c}i\\v{c}, A. Fuster, A. Gherghel-Lascu, A.G. Mariazzi, A. Gorgi, A. Haungs, A. Insolia, A. K\\\"a\\\"ap\\\"a, A. Khakurdikar, A. Letessier-Selvon, A.L. Garcia Vegas, A.L. M\\\"uller, A. Machado Payeras, A.M. Badescu, A.M. Botti, A. Menshikov, A. Nasr-Esfahani, A Nucita, A. Parra, A. Puyleart, A. Saftoiu, A. Segreto, A. Streich, A. Tapia, A. Travaini, A. V\\'asquez-Ram\\'irez, A. Weindl, A. Yushkov, B. Andrada, B.C. Manning, B. Fick, B. Garc\\'ia, B. Keilhauer, B.L. Lago, B. Pont, B.R. Dawson, B. Tom\\'e, B. Wundheiler, C. Aramo, C. Berat, C. Bleve, C. Bonifazi, C. Dobrigkeit, C.E. Covault, C. Galea, C. Galelli, C. Hojvat, C.J. Todero Peixoto, C. Morello, C.M. Sch\\\"afer, C.O. Escobar, C. Oliveira, C. P\\'erez Bertolli, C. Petrucci, C. Sarmiento-Cano, C. Taricco, C. Timmermans, C. Trimarelli, C. Ventura, C. Watanabe, D. Boncioli, D. Correia dos Santos, D. de Oliveira Franco, D. G\\'ora, D. Harari, D. Heck, D. Lo Presti, D. Mandat, D. Martello, D. Melo, D. Nitz, D. Nosek, D. Ravignani, D. Schmidt, D. Stanca, D. Veberi\\v{c}, D. Wittkowski, D. Zavrtanik, E. Arnone, E. Avocone, E. De Vito, E.E. Pereira Martins, E. Guido, E. Mayotte, E.M. Santos, E. Roulet, E. Santos, E. Varela, E. Zas, F. Barbato, F. Canfora, F. Catalani, F. Contreras, F. Convenga, F. de Palma, F. Feldbusch, F. Fenu, F. Gesualdi, F. Gobbi, F. Gollan, F.G. Schr\\\"oder, F. Guarino, F. Knapp, F.L. Briechle, F.M. Mariani, F. Montanet, F. Riehn, F. Salamida, F. S\\'anchez, F. Sarazin, F. Schl\\\"uter, G.A. Anastasi, G. Avila, G. Bhatta, G. Cataldi, G.C. Hill, G. Consolati, G. Farrar, G. Golup, G. Mancarella, G. Marsella, G. Matthiae, G. Medina-Tanco, G. Nicora, G. Parente, G.P. Guedes, G. Salina, G. Sigl, G. Silli, H. Asorey, H. Falcke, H. Gemmeke, H.J. Mathes, H.O. Klages, H. Salazar, H. Schieler, H. Schoorlemmer, H. Wahlberg, H. Wilczy\\'nski, I. Allekotte, I. Caracas, I.C. Mari\\c{s}, I. De Mitri, I.D. Vergara Quispe, I. Epicoco, I. Goos, I. Lhenry-Yvon, I. Norwood, J.A. Bellido, J.A. Chinellato, J.A. Day, J.A. Johnsen, J. Alvarez-Mu\\~niz, J. Ammerman Yebra, J. Biteau, J. Blazek, J. Bl\\\"umer, J. Brack, J. C. Arteaga Vel\\'azquez, J.C. D'Olivo, J. Chudoba, J. de Jes\\'us, J. de Oliveira, J.D. Sanabria Gomez, J. Ebr, J. Farmer, J.F. Soriano, J.F. Vald\\'es Galicia, J. Glombitza, J. Jurysek, J. Kleinfeller, J.M. Albury, J. Manshanden, J. Matthews, J.M. Figueira, J.M. Gonz\\'alez, J. Pallotta, J. Pawlowsky, J. Pe\\~na-Rodriguez, J. Perez Armand, J.P. Gongora, J. P\\k{e}kala, J.P. Lundquist, J. Rautenberg, J.R. H\\\"orandel, J. Ridky, J. Rodriguez Rojo, J.R.T. de Mello Neto, J. Schulte, J. Stasielak, J. Vicha, J. Vink, K. Almeida Cheminant, K. Bismark, K. Daumiller, K.H. Kampert, K. Mulrey, K.S. Caballero-Mora, L. Anchordoqui, L.A. N\\'u\\~nez, L. Bonneau Arbeletche, L. Caccianiga, L. Cazon, L. Chytka, L. Deval, L. Lopes, L. Lu, L.M. Domingues Mendes, L. Miramonti, L. Morejon, L. Nellen, L. No\\v{z}ka, L. Perrone, L. Vaclavek, L. Valore, L. Wiencke, L. Zehrer, M. Aglietta, M.A. Leigui de Oliveira, M.A. Muller, M. Boh\\'a\\v{c}ov\\'a, M. Buscemi, M. B\\\"usken, M. Cerda, M. del R\\'io, M. Dobre, M.E. Bertaina, M. Erdmann, M. Giammarchi, M. G\\'omez Berisso, M. Gottowik, M. Hrabovsk\\'y, M.I. Micheletti, M.J. Roncoroni, M. Kleifges, M. Mastrodicasa, M. Mostaf\\'a, M. Muzio, M. Niculescu-Oglinzanu, M. Niechciol, M. Palatka, M. Pech, M. Pimenta, M. Platino, M. Pothast, M. Prouza, M.R. Coluccia, M. Reininghaus, M.R. Hampel, M. Risse, M. Roth, M. Saharan, M. Schimassek, M. Schimp, M. Scornavacche, M. Stadelmaier, M. Su\\'arez-Dur\\'an, M.T. Dova, M. Tueros, M. Unger, M. Vacula, M. Zavrtanik, N. Borodai, N. Fazzini, N. Gonz\\'alez, N. Kunka, N. Langner, O. Deligny, O. Mart\\'inez Bravo, O. Scholten, O. Sima, O. Tkachenko, O. Zapparrata, P. Assis, P. Buchholz, P.F. G\\'omez Vitale, P.G. Brichetto Orchera, P.G. Isar, P. Hamal, P. Hansen, P. Horvath, P. Janecek, P.L. Biermann, P.L. Ghia, P. Mantsch, P.O. Mazur, P. Papenbreer, P. Privitera, P.R. Ara\\'ujo Ferreira, P. Ruehl, P. Savina, P. Schov\\'anek, P. Sommers, P. Stassi, P. Tobiska, P. Travnicek, Q. Luce, R. Aloisio, R. Alves Batista, R. Caruso, R.C. dos Anjos, R. Colalillo, R. Concei\\c{c}\\~ao, R.C. Shellard, R. Engel, R. L\\'opez, R.M. de Almeida, R. Mussa, R. Pelayo, R. Sarmento, R. Sato, R. Smau, R. Squartini, R. Ulrich, R. \\v{S}m\\'ida, R.W. Clay, S. Andringa, S. Buitink, S. Dasso, S. Hahn, S.J. De Jong, S.J. Sciutto, S. Marafico, S. Martinelli, S. Mayotte, S. Michal, S. Mollerach, S. Petrera, S. Querchfeld, S. Rossoni, S. Sehgal, S. Stani\\v{c}, S. Vorobiov, T. Bister, T. Bretz, T.D. Grubb, T. Fitoussi, T. Fodran, T. Fujii, T. Hebbeker, The Pierre Auger Collaboration: P. Abreu, T. Huege, T. Pierog, T. Schulz, T. Sudholz, T. Suomij\\\"arvi, U. Giaccari, V. Binet, V. de Souza, V. Lenok, V.M. Harvey, V. Novotny, V. Pirronello, V. Rizi, V. Scherini, V. Verzi, V.V. Kizakke Covilakam, W.M. Namasaka, W. Rodrigues de Carvalho, Z. Szadkowski, Z. Torr\\`es","submitted_at":"2022-03-16T18:20:36Z","abstract_excerpt":"Instantons, which are non-perturbative solutions to Yang-Mills equations, provide a signal for the occurrence of quantum tunneling between distinct classes of vacua. They can give rise to decays of particles otherwise forbidden. Using data collected at the Pierre Auger Observatory, we search for signatures of such instanton-induced processes that would be suggestive of super-heavy particles decaying in the Galactic halo. These particles could have been produced during the post-inflationary epoch and match the relic abundance of dark matter inferred today. The non-observation of the signatures "},"claims":{"count":0,"items":[],"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"source":{"id":"2203.08854","kind":"arxiv","version":3},"verdict":{"id":null,"model_set":{},"created_at":null,"strongest_claim":"","one_line_summary":"","pipeline_version":null,"weakest_assumption":"","pith_extraction_headline":""},"integrity":{"clean":true,"summary":{"advisory":0,"critical":0,"by_detector":{},"informational":0},"endpoint":"/pith/2203.08854/integrity.json","findings":[],"available":true,"detectors_run":[],"snapshot_sha256":"c28c3603d3b5d939e8dc4c7e95fa8dfce3d595e45f758748cecf8e644a296938"},"references":{"count":0,"sample":[],"resolved_work":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57","internal_anchors":0},"formal_canon":{"evidence_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"author_claims":{"count":0,"strong_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"builder_version":"pith-number-builder-2026-05-17-v1"}