Signatures from scalar dark matter with a vector-like quark mediator

Abstract

We present a comprehensive study of a model where the dark matter is composed of a singlet real scalar that couples to the Standard Model predominantly via a Yukawa interaction with a light quark and a colored vector-like fermion. A distinctive feature of this scenario is that thermal freeze-out in the early universe may be driven by annihilation both into gluon pairs at one-loop (gg) and by virtual internal Bremsstrahlung of a gluon (qq¯g). Such a dark matter candidate may also be tested through direct and indirect detection and at the LHC; viable candidates have either a mass nearly degenerate with that of the fermionic mediator or a mass above about 2 TeV.