Dark matter as higher-form fields

Abstract

Among the crowd of dark matter candidates, light scalar and vector particles have been the focus of intense theoretical and experimental investigations over the past 15 years. However, those are always described as scalar or vector fields. Instead, we investigate their embedding as antisymmetric rank-three and rank-two tensor fields. By reconciling theoretical investigations, regarding the nature of the dualities relating the standard and tensorial descriptions and their different possible Stueckelberg gauge representations, and phenomenological examinations considering the effective interactions between tensor fields and the Standard Model, we prove these tensor fields to provide a completely distinct framework. This alternative set allows for different couplings and therefore different experimental signatures for the detection or production of dark matter at both low energy and colliders.