Neutralino-Induced Electron-Positron Pair Production in Strong Magnetic Fields

Our understanding of dark matter comes exclusively through its gravitational effects on normal matter, but other possibilities of study hinge on whether it can also couple to normal matter through the weak interaction. In this work, I consider whether strong magnetic fields could enhance a possible weak interaction between dark matter and electrons and positrons. While dark matter cannot directly couple to magnetic fields, it has been shown that the decays and cross sections of neutral particles can be affected by magnetic fields when there are charged particles in the final state. Furthermore, dark matter accumulates in gravity wells, including the centers of stars where there can exist strong magnetic fields. The goal of this research is to determine if a magnetic field can stimulate dark matter to radiate away an electron-positron pair. I consider as my dark matter candidate the lightest neutralino from the minimally supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model because of its stability, mass, and weak coupling with normal matter. In this talk, I will present the details of this calculation and consider whether this process provides a possible detection signature.