Attractive features of Higgsino Dark Matter in the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

Abstract

In the Higgsino dark matter (DM) scenario of the Minimal Supersymmetric Model (MSSM), the mixing of Gaugino and Higgsino influences the mass splitting between neutralinos predominantly composed of Higgsino and introduces coupling between the DM and Higgs bosons. These effects modify the DM-nucleon scattering cross-section, causing conflicts with the latest direct detection results from LZ experiments for both substantial and minute mixings. Consequently, the experimental measurement of DM relic density necessitates the Higgsino DM mass to be approximately 1.1 TeV. We discovered that in the Higgsino DM scenario of the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Model (NMSSM), the mixing of Higgsino and Singlino introduces analogous effects, with a crucial distinction being that the current LZ experiment permits significant mixing between Singlino and Higgsino. This pronounced mixing effect effectively attenuates the interactions between Higgsino-dominated neutralinos and standard model particles, enabling DM masses exceeding roughly 670 GeV to achieve the correct relic abundance. Through analytical formulas and numerical results, we elucidated these characteristics which were not observed before. Our research reveals that in the NMSSM, when comprehensively examining the mixing effects of Higgsino, Gaugino, and Singlino, the properties of Higgsino DM become markedly more intricate compared to the MSSM predictions.