Can a minimal radiative seesaw explain the LZ 248 keV event?
- 1Department of Physics , Henan Normal University , Xinxiang 453007 , China
Abstract
We interpret the recently reported 248~keV nuclear recoil event in the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment via inelastic dark matter scattering within the minimal Scotogenic model. A sub-MeV mass splitting between neutral inert scalars suppresses low-energy scattering while permitting signals from the high-velocity halo tail. Crucially, co-annihilation with nearly degenerate right-handed fermions accommodates the thermal relic density for dark matter masses up to ∼ cal O (1)~TeV, extending the viable range significantly beyond the pure inert doublet model limit while evading direct detection bounds. However, to resolve the severe tension with IceCube neutrino limits on solar capture, we extend this minimal framework by introducing a hidden U(1)X gauge symmetry that naturally leads us to tiny λ5 coupling at the one-loop level. This realizes an isospin-violating scenario that suppresses dark matter capture in the Sun while preserving the coherent scattering signal in the Xenon-based LZ detector. We numerically verify that this extended framework naturally generates neutrino masses and satisfies constraints from Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and indirect detection, providing a robust and testable solution to the LZ anomaly.
Related
- Deviation from μ−τ reflection symmetry under radiative corrections in the minimal seesaw framework
- New physics in the ZZh vertex: one-loop contributions from a radiative seesaw model
- Radiative double inverse seesaw and dark matter in an alternative gauged U(1)B−L model
- Radiative θ in Left-Right Universal Seesaw
- Electroweak Thermal Histories in the Minimal Type-II Seesaw Model with a Renormalization Group-Improved Effective Potential
BibTeX
@misc{okada2026minimal,
title = {{Can a minimal radiative seesaw explain the LZ 248 keV event?}},
author = {Hiroshi Okada and Yoshihiro Shigekami and Jia-Jun Wu},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.13038},
eprint = {2609.13038},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.13038},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Can a minimal radiative seesaw explain the LZ 248 keV event?
AU - Hiroshi Okada
AU - Yoshihiro Shigekami
AU - Jia-Jun Wu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/11
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.13038
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.13038
AB - We interpret the recently reported 248~keV nuclear recoil event in the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment via inelastic dark matter scattering within the minimal Scotogenic model. A sub-MeV mass splitting between neutral inert scalars suppresses low-energy scattering while permitting signals from the high-velocity halo tail. Crucially, co-annihilation with nearly degenerate right-handed fermions accommodates the thermal relic density for dark matter masses up to ∼ cal O (1)~TeV, extending the viable range significantly beyond the pure inert doublet model limit while evading direct detection bounds. However, to resolve the severe tension with IceCube neutrino limits on solar capture, we extend this minimal framework by introducing a hidden U(1)_X gauge symmetry that naturally leads us to tiny λ_5 coupling at the one-loop level. This realizes an isospin-violating scenario that suppresses dark matter capture in the Sun while preserving the coherent scattering signal in the Xenon-based LZ detector. We numerically verify that this extended framework naturally generates neutrino masses and satisfies constraints from Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and indirect detection, providing a robust and testable solution to the LZ anomaly.
SN - 2331-8422
ER -