Simplest and Most Predictive Model of Muon g-2 and Thermal Dark Matter

The long-standing 4.2 sigma muon g - 2 anomaly may be the result of a new particle species which could also couple to dark matter and mediate its annihilations in the early Universe. In models where both muons and dark matter carry equal charges under a U(1)(L mu-L tau) gauge symmetry, the corresponding Z' can both resolve the observed g - 2 anomaly and yield an acceptable dark matter relic abundance, relying on annihilations which take place through the Z' resonance. Once the value of (g - 2)(mu) and the dark matter abundance are each fixed, there is very little remaining freedom in this model, making it highly predictive. We provide a comprehensive analysis of this scenario, identifying a viable range of dark matter masses between approximately 10 and 100 MeV, which falls entirely within the projected sensitivity of several accelerator-based experiments, including NA62, NA64 mu, M-3, and DUNE. Furthermore, portions of this mass range predict contributions to Delta N-eff which could ameliorate the tension between early and late time measurements of the Hubble constant, and which could be tested by stage 4 CMB experiments.

Automated summary

This study suggests that the long-standing anomaly in muon g-2 may be explained by a new particle species that couples to dark matter and affects its annihilations in the early Universe. A comprehensive analysis of the model reveals a viable range of dark matter masses and predicts contributions that could potentially resolve the tension between early and late time measurements of the Hubble constant.