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This content will become publicly available on January 1, 2026

Title: Dark matter catalyzed baryon destruction
WIMP-type dark matter may have additional interactions that break baryon number, leading to induced nucleon decays which are subject to direct experimental constraints from proton decay experiments. In this work, we analyze the possibility of continuous baryon destruction, deriving strong limits from the dark matter accumulating inside old neutron stars, as such a process leads to excess heat generation. We construct the simplest particle dark matter model that breaks the baryon and lepton numbers separately but conserves B L . Virtual exchange by DM particles in this model results in dinucleon decay via n n n ν ¯ and n p n e + processes. Published by the American Physical Society2025  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2020275
PAR ID:
10597768
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
APS
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Physical Review D
Volume:
111
Issue:
2
ISSN:
2470-0010
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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