SIMP dark matter with gauged $Z_3$ symmetry

Abstract

We consider a complex scalar field as SIMP dark matter in models with gauged $Z_3$ discrete symmetry appearing as a remnant of dark local $U(1)$. Dark matter (DM) annihilates dominantly by the 3-to-2 scattering, due to the DM cubic coupling in combination with the DM quartic coupling or the $Z'$ gauge and dark Higgs couplings. We show that a light $Z'$ gauge boson makes DM in kinetic equilibrium with thermal plasma at freeze-out and it affects the DM relic density and perturbativity/unitarity constraints for DM self-interactions. We show that the large DM self-interactions are consistent with solving small-scale structure problems and explaining the DM halo separation recently observed in Abell 3827 cluster. Various bounds on the model from the SIMP conditions, DM self-interactions, $Z'$ searches, DM direct/indirect detection experiments, and Higgs signals, are also discussed.