Speaker
Description
In different classes of models, semi-annihilation of Dark Matter (DM) can set the DM relic abundance. One of the most interesting features of this scenario is the generation of a boosted DM component (BDM), as part of the energy of the initial state is converted into kinetic energy of the DM particle in the final state. In this work, we consider the process $\chi \chi \to \chi^c\,\nu$, which can occur with a sizable rate in dark matter halos at high redshift. Using a state-of-the-art model for the cosmological boost factor, we compute the redshift-dependent flux of BDM particles generated via semi-annihilations and discuss the implications for structure formation and direct detection experiments. We show that the cosmological contribution can enhance the sensitivity of current DM searches by up to two orders of magnitude, and may allow future experiments to probe scattering cross sections in the femtobarn range for DM masses ranging from $\sim 10$ to $10^3$ MeV.