The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, despite its tremendous success, fails to explain two key observations: the nonzero masses of neutrinos and the existence of dark matter. These fundamental shortcomings clearly indicate the need for new physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). Among the viable frameworks addressing these challenges, the Scotogenic mechanism proposed by Ernest Ma in 2006 provides a compelling setup in which neutrino masses are generated radiatively at one loop, while a discrete Z₂ symmetry simultaneously guarantees the stability of a dark matter candidate. This framework naturally links neutrino mass generation and dark matter within a unified setup. This idea has since been generalised to the Dirac scotogenic framework, where small Dirac neutrino masses are generated radiatively through the introduction of new fields together with the additional discrete symmetries or the global U(1)B-L symmetry already present in the SM. The Dirac scotogenic model offers an elegant framework for generating small Dirac neutrino masses radiatively at the one-loop level. A single abelian discrete symmetry, Z6, simultaneously preserves the Dirac nature of neutrinos and ensures the stability of the dark matter candidate, emerging as an unbroken subgroup of the 445 U(1)B-L symmetry. In this work, we present a comprehensive study of the phenomenological consequences of this construction, focusing on electroweak vacuum stability, charged lepton flavor violation, and dark matter constraints. After incorporating current theoretical and experimental bounds, we find that the model not only remains viable but also permits novel low-mass scalar and fermionic dark matter regimes—distinct from those in the canonical Majorana scotogenic scenario. These features position the framework as a compelling bridge between neutrino physics, dark matter, and BSM cosmology.
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Comprehensive Phenomenology of the Dirac Scotogenic Model: Novel Low-Mass Dark Matter
Published:
27 February 2026
by MDPI
in The 3rd International Online Conference on Universe
session Cosmology and Particle Physics
Abstract:
Keywords: Models for Dark Matter; Particle Nature of Dark Matter; Lepton Flavour Violation (charged).