Dark Matter and EWSB Naturalness in Unified SUSY Models

Abstract

The relationship between the degree of fine-tuning in Electroweak Symmetry Breaking (EWSB) and the discoverability of dark matter in current and next generation direct detection experiments is investigated in the context of two unified Supersymmetry scenarios: the constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (CMSSM) and models with non-universal Higgs masses (NUHM). Attention is drawn to the mechanism(s) by which the relic abundance of neutralino dark matter is suppressed to cosmologically viable values. After a summary of Amsel, Freese, and Sandick (2011), results are updated to reflect current constraints, including the discovery of a new particle consistent with a Standard Model-like Higgs boson. We find that a Higgs mass of ~125 GeV excludes the least fine-tuned CMSSM points in our parameter space and that remaining viable models may be difficult to probe with next generation direct dark matter searches. Relatively low fine-tuning and good direct detection prospects are still possible in NUHM scenarios.