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Updated: Mar 12, 2026
07:46
Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models
Published on: November 15, 2013
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Lightest Visible-Sector Supersymmetric Particle is Likely to be Unstable.
Bobby S Acharya1,2, Sebastian A R Ellis3, Gordon L Kane3
1Department of Physics, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom.
Physical Review Letters
|November 12, 2016
Summary
The lightest visible supersymmetric particle may be unstable, suggesting dark matter is not a standard model particle. Hidden sectors with neutral particles could be lighter, challenging current dark matter theories.
Area of Science:
- Theoretical Physics
- Particle Physics
- Cosmology
Background:
- String theory and M theory suggest complex particle sectors.
- The nature of dark matter remains a significant unsolved problem in physics.
- Supersymmetric theories predict new particles, including potential dark matter candidates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the stability of the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) in the visible sector.
- To explore alternative possibilities for dark matter composition beyond standard model particles.
- To analyze the implications of hidden sectors and their interactions with the visible sector.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of known solutions in string theory and M theory.
- Examination of typical sector properties and interactions.
- Consideration of particle masses in hidden sectors relative to visible sector particles.
Main Results:
- The lightest supersymmetric particle of the visible sector is likely unstable.
- Dark matter is probably not a particle with standard model quantum numbers.
- Massive neutral hidden sector particles could be lighter than the lightest visible supersymmetric particle.
Conclusions:
- The conventional weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter paradigm may be incorrect.
- Hidden sectors offer a viable alternative for dark matter candidates.
- These conclusions are independent of R-parity violation arguments.
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