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Testing Dark Decays of Baryons in Neutron Stars
Gordon Baym1, D H Beck1, Peter Geltenbort2
1Department of Physics, University of Illinois, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|August 25, 2018
Summary
Exotic neutron decay modes are challenged by massive neutron stars. These stars rule out simple dark matter explanations for the neutron lifetime puzzle, suggesting complex dark sectors.
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Particle Physics
- Cosmology
Background:
- Discrepancies in neutron lifetime measurements (beam and bottle) suggest new physics.
- Neutron stars with masses exceeding one solar mass challenge exotic neutron decay models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the implications of observed neutron star masses for exotic neutron decay modes.
- To explore the constraints imposed by neutron stars on dark matter models and the neutron lifetime puzzle.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of neutron star mass observations.
- Theoretical modeling of neutron decay and dark matter interactions.
Main Results:
- Simple neutron decay to a single, stable dark fermion predicts a maximum neutron star mass of 0.7M☉, inconsistent with observations.
- Observed neutron star masses (over 1M☉, including 2M☉) necessitate a more complex, multiparticle dark sector with constrained interactions.
Conclusions:
- Neutron stars serve as crucial probes for GeV-scale dark sectors interacting with the Standard Model via baryon-number-violating interactions.
- Exotic neutron decay models must be significantly revised or rejected based on neutron star mass data.
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