We propose a new motivation for the stability of dark matter (DM). We suggest that the same non-Abelian discrete flavor symmetry which accounts for the observed pattern of neutrino oscillations, spontaneously breaks to a $Z_2$ subgroup which renders DM stable. The simplest scheme leads to a scalar doublet DM potentially detectable in nuclear recoil experiments, inverse neutrino mass hierarchy, hence a neutrinoless double beta decay rate accessible to upcoming searches, while ${\theta }_{13}=0$ gives no $CP$ violation in neutrino oscillations.

• Received 14 July 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.82.116003