Decaying vector dark matter with low reheating temperature for KM3NeT signal and its impact on gravitational waves

Abstract: We propose a new model to explain the KM3NeT neutrino event through a low reheating scenario with a suppression in the GW spectrum originating from cosmic string networks. To achieve this, we extend the SM gauge sector by an abelian gauge symmetry and a singlet scalar. Once the abelian gauge symmetry spontaneously breaks, the extra gauge boson acquires mass and becomes a suitable Dark Matter (DM) candidate. Due to the kinetic mixing with the hypercharge gauge group, DM can decay into SM particles. To explain the KM3NeT signal, we need $\mathcal{O}(100)$ PeV DM, which can be produced in the correct order of DM density in a low reheating scenario. In this scenario, the overabundance issue of heavy DM can be tackled by diluting its abundance through the continuous injection of entropy when the matter-like inflaton decays into the SM bath. Using the low reheating scenario, we can obtain the correct value of DM density both for freeze-out and freeze-in mechanisms for super-heavy DM. Moreover, we have studied the Gravitational Waves (GWs) produced from cosmic strings, which fall within the detectable range of future proposed GW experiments. Additionally, the dominance of a quadratic inflaton potential before the reheating temperature changes the temperature-scale factor relation, which suppresses the GW spectrum at higher frequencies. Choosing an arbitrarily low reheating temperature provides only a tiny fraction of the DM density due to dilution from entropy injection. This fraction of the vector DM suggests that only the extragalactic contribution is relevant in the KM3NeT event because DM lifetime is shorter than the age of the Universe.