Bound states of pseudo-Dirac dark matter

Abstract

We study the bound-state spectrum in a simple model of pseudo-Dirac dark matter, and examine how the rate of bound-state formation through radiative capture compares to Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation. We use this model as an example to delineate the new features induced by the presence of a mass splitting between the dark matter and a nearly-degenerate partner, compared to the case where only a single dark-matter-like state is present. We provide a simple analytic prescription for estimating the spectrum of bound states in systems containing a mass splitting, which in turn allows characterization of the resonances due to near-zero-energy bound states, and validate this estimate both for pseudo-Dirac dark matter and for the more complex case of wino dark matter. We demonstrate that for pseudo-Dirac dark matter the capture rate into deeply bound states is, to a good approximation, simply related to the Sommerfeld enhancement factor.