Dark Matter from Strong Dynamics: The Minimal Theory of Dark Baryons

Understand

As a simple model for dark matter, we propose a QCD-like theory based on $\rm{SU}(2)$ gauge theory with one flavor of dark quark.

• The model is confining at low energy and we use lattice simulations to investigate the properties of the lowest-lying hadrons.
• Compared to QCD, the theory has several peculiar differences: there are no Goldstone bosons or chiral symmetry restoration when the dark quark becomes massless; the usual global baryon number symmetry is enlarged to $\rm{SU}(2)_B$, resembling isospin; and baryons and mesons are unified together in $\rm{SU}(2)_B$ iso-multiplets.
• We argue that the lightest baryon, a vector boson, is a stable dark matter candidate and is a composite realization of the hidden vector dark matter scenario.