Dark photon

Beyond the Standard Model
Simulated Large Hadron Collider CMS particle detector data depicting a Higgs boson produced by colliding protons decaying into hadron jets and electrons
Standard Model
Evidence
Theories
Supersymmetry
Quantum gravity
Experiments

The dark photon (also hidden, heavy, para-, or secluded photon) is a hypothetical hidden sector particle, proposed as a force carrier similar to the photon of electromagnetism but potentially connected to dark matter.[1] In a minimal scenario, this new force can be introduced by extending the gauge group of the Standard Model of Particle Physics with a new abelian U(1) gauge symmetry. The corresponding new spin-1 gauge boson (i.e., the dark photon) can then couple very weakly to electrically charged particles through kinetic mixing with the ordinary photon[2] and could thus be detected. The dark photon can also interact with the Standard Model if some of the fermions are charged under the new abelian group.[3] The possible charging arrangements are restricted by a number of consistency requirements such as anomaly cancellation and constraints coming from Yukawa matrices.

  1. ^ Essig, R.; Jaros, J. A.; Wester, W.; Adrian, P. Hansson; Andreas, S.; Averett, T.; Baker, O.; Batell, B.; Battaglieri, M. (2013-10-31). "Dark Sectors and New, Light, Weakly-Coupled Particles". arXiv:1311.0029 [hep-ph].
  2. ^ Holdom, Bob (1986-01-09). "Two U(1)'s and ϵ charge shifts". Physics Letters B. 166 (2): 196–198. Bibcode:1986PhLB..166..196H. doi:10.1016/0370-2693(86)91377-8. ISSN 0370-2693.
  3. ^ Galison, Peter; Manohar, Aneesh (1984-03-08). "Two Z's or not two Z's?". Physics Letters B. 136 (4): 279–283. Bibcode:1984PhLB..136..279G. doi:10.1016/0370-2693(84)91161-4. ISSN 0370-2693.