{
  "abstract": "The detection of gamma-ray signals from primordial black holes (PBHs) could provide compelling evidence for their role as a dark matter candidate, particularly through the observation of their Hawking radiation. Future gamma-ray observatories, such as e-ASTROGAM, and the next-generation telescopes, are poised to explore this possibility by measuring both Standard Model (SM) and beyond-the-SM particle emissions. A particularly promising avenue involves production of dark photons by PBHs, which is a hypothetical particle that decays into photons. In this work, we investigate the trident decay of dark photons with mass $$m_{A'}\\le 1$$ m A ′ ≤ 1 MeV focusing on their primary emission from asteroid-mass PBHs. We assume that the dark photons produced via Hawking radiation decay into photons well before reaching Earth, thereby enhancing the detectable gamma-ray flux. The energy spectrum of the photons decaying from the dark photons is distinct from that of direct Hawking-radiated photons due to higher degree of freedom, leading to observable modifications in the gamma-ray signal. Using the asteroid-mass PBHs as a case study, we demonstrate that future gamma-ray missions could detect dark-photon signatures and distinguish them from conventional Hawking radiation. This approach enables the exploration of previously inaccessible parameter spaces in dark photon mass $$m_{A'}\\le 1$$ m A ′ ≤ 1 MeV and their coupling to photons, offering a viable avenue to uncover the properties of dark sectors and the nature of asteroid-mass PBHs.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "National Tsing Hua University",
    "Konkuk University",
    "Seoul National University of Science and Technology",
    "National Center for Theoretical Sciences"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Kingman Cheung",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2176-4053"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "C. J. Ouseph",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8410-0911"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Po-Yan Tseng",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5469-478X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Sin Kyu Kang",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7508-3881"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0ay3tj0bsjr9y.bib",
  "cited_by": 1,
  "doi": "10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16317-4",
  "fulltext_url": "https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16317-4",
  "id": "0ay3tj0bsjr9y",
  "issns": [
    "1434-6044",
    "1434-6052"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16317-4",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "QB460-466"
    ],
    [
      "lcc",
      "QC770-798"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3106|Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W4416112860",
  "pdf_url": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16317-4.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-23",
  "publisher": "Springer Science and Business Media LLC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0ay3tj0bsjr9y.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:04Z",
      "native_id": "10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16317-4",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16317-4"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:46:23Z",
      "native_id": "74d38bb0f78b4e478abcccfaaad03796",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16317-4"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "openalex:3106|Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena",
      "subfield": "high-energy"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Searching for dark photon tridents through primordial black hole signatures",
  "title_text": "Searching for dark photon tridents through primordial black hole signatures",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T13:46:23Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0ay3tj0bsjr9y",
  "venue": "The European Physical Journal C",
  "versions": []
}