Scotogenic dark matter from gauged $B-L$

Abstract

We propose a $U(1)_{B-L}$ gauge extension to the SM, in which the dark sector is stabilized through a matter parity symmetry preserved after spontaneous symmetry breaking. The fermion spectrum includes three neutral right-handed fields with $B-L$ charges $(-4,-4, 5)$, that make the model free of gauge anomalies. Two of these neutral fermion fields serve as mediators in a scotogenic mechanism for light-active Majorana neutrino masses. The corresponding neutrino mass matrix has rank 2, predicting a massless state and a lower bound for neutrinoless double beta decay. Regions in the parameter space consistent with dark matter relic abundance are accomplished by the lightest neutral mediator.