Higgs decays to dark matter: beyond the minimal model

Abstract

We examine the interplay between Higgs mediation of dark matter annihilation and scattering on one hand, and the invisible Higgs decay width on the other, in a generic class of models utilizing the Higgs portal. We find that, while the invisible width of the Higgs to dark matter is now constrained for a minimal singlet scalar WIMP by experiments such as XENON100, this conclusion is not robust within more generic examples of Higgs mediation. We present a survey of simple WIMP scenarios with m_{DM} < m_h/2 and Higgs portal mediation, where direct detection signatures are suppressed, while the Higgs width is still dominated by decays to dark matter.

6 pages, 1 figure; v2: references added; v3: typos corrected, to appear in Phys. Rev. D