Simplest and Most Predictive Model of Muon $g−2$ and Thermal Dark Matter

The long-standing $4.2⁢σ$ muon $g−2$ anomaly may be the result of a new particle species which could also couple to dark matter and mediate its annihilations in the early Universe. In models where both muons and dark matter carry equal charges under a $U(1)_{L_μ-L_τ}$gauge symmetry, the corresponding 𝑍′ can both resolve the observed $g−2$ anomaly and yield an acceptable dark matter relic abundance, relying on annihilations which take place through the 𝑍′ resonance. Once the value of $(g−2)_μ $ and the dark matter abundance are each fixed, there is very little remaining freedom in this model, making it highly predictive. We provide a comprehensive analysis of this scenario, identifying a viable range of dark matter masses between approximately 10 and 100 MeV, which falls entirely within the projected sensitivity of several accelerator-based experiments, including NA62, $NA⁢64⁢μ$, $M^3$, and DUNE. Furthermore, portions of this mass range predict contributions to Δ⁢𝑁_eff which could ameliorate the tension between early and late time measurements of the Hubble constant, and which could be tested by stage 4 CMB experiments.