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arxiv: 1504.01319 · v2 · pith:CTZJ2RLZnew · submitted 2015-04-06 · 🌌 astro-ph.HE · hep-ph

Super Heavy Dark Matter in light of BICEP2, Planck and Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays Observations

classification 🌌 astro-ph.HE hep-ph
keywords darkmatterbicep2cosmicenergymodelsplancksuper-heavy
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The announcement by BICEP2 of the detection of B-mode polarization consistent with primordial gravitational waves with a tensor-to-scalar ratio, $r=0.2^{+0.07}_{-0.05}$, challenged predictions from most inflationary models of a lower value for $r$. More recent results by Planck on polarized dust emission show that the observed tensor modes signal is compatible with pure foreground emission. A more significant constraint on $r$ was then obtained by a joint analysis of Planck, BICEP2 and Keck Array data showing an upper limit to the tensor to scalar ratio $r\le 0.12$, excluding the case $r=0$ with low statistical significance. Forthcoming measurements by BICEP3, the Keck Array, and other CMB polarization experiments, open the possibility for making the fundamental measurement of $r$. Here we discuss how $r$ sets the scale for models where the dark matter is created at the inflationary epoch, the generically called super-heavy dark matter models. We also consider the constraints on such scenarios given by recent data from ultrahigh energy cosmic ray observatories which set the limit on super-heavy dark matter particles lifetime. We discuss how super-heavy dark matter can be discovered by a precise measurement of $r$ combined with future observations of ultra high energy cosmic rays.

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