Abstract
There is an increasing interest in accurate dark matter relic density predictions, which requires next-to-leading order (NLO) calculations. The method applied up to now uses zero-temperature NLO calculations of annihilation cross sections in the standard Boltzmann equation for freeze-out, and is conceptually problematic, since it ignores the finite-temperature infrared (IR) divergences from soft and collinear radiation and virtual effects. We address this problem systematically by starting from non-equilibrium quantum field theory, and demonstrate on a realistic model that soft and collinear temperature-dependent divergences cancel in the collision term. Our analysis provides justification for the use of the freeze-out equation in its conventional form and determines the leading finite-temperature correction to the annihilation cross section. This turns out to have a remarkably simple structure.
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21 July 2016
An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP07(2016)106
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Beneke, M., Dighera, F. & Hryczuk, A. Relic density computations at NLO: infrared finiteness and thermal correction. J. High Energ. Phys. 2014, 45 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP10(2014)045
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP10(2014)045