Determination of the string scale in D-brane scenarios and dark matter implications Original Research Article

We analyze different phenomenological aspects of D-brane constructions. First, we obtain that scenarios with the gauge group and particle content of the supersymmetric standard model lead naturally to intermediate values for the string scale, in order to reproduce the value of gauge couplings deduced from experiments. Second, the soft terms, which turn out to be generically non-universal, and Yukawa couplings of these scenarios are studied in detail. Finally, using these soft terms and the string scale as the initial scale for their running, we compute the neutralino–nucleon cross section. In particular we find regions in the parameter space of D-brane scenarios with cross sections in the range of 10−6–10−5 pb, i.e., where current dark matter experiments are sensitive. For instance, this can be obtained for tanβ>5.