We present here the sensitivity of the SABRE (Sodium iodide with Active Background REjection) experiment to benchmark proto-philic, spin dependent, Inelastic Dark Matter models previously proposed due to their lowered tension with existing experimental results. We perform fits to cross section, mass, and mass splitting values to find the best fit to DAMA/LIBRA data for these models. In this analysis, we consider the Standard Halo Model (SHM), as well as an interesting extension upon it, the SHM+Stream distribution, to investigate the influence of the Dark Matter velocity distribution upon experimental sensitivity and whether or not its consideration may be able to help relieve the present experimental tension. Based on our analysis, SABRE should be sensitive to all the three benchmark models within 3-5 years of data taking.
We explore a novel class of multi-particle dark sectors, called Inelastic Boosted Dark Matter (iBDM). These models are constructed by combining properties of particles that scatter off matter by making transitions to heavier states (Inelastic Dark Matter) with properties of particles that are produced with a large Lorentz boost in annihilation processes in the galactic halo (Boosted Dark Matter). This combination leads to new signals that can be observed at ordinary direct detection experiments, but require unconventional searches for energetic recoil electrons in coincidence with displaced mu…
We investigate constraints on the dark photon arising from an analysis of deep inelastic scattering (DIS) data. We perform extractions of parton distribution functions (PDFs) with and without a dark photon being present and allow the dark photon mixing parameter and mass to vary. We also include the effects of vector meson dominance to ensure the correct photo-production limit. By considering the variation of the total $χ^2$ arising from such extractions we infer exclusion limits on the kinetic mixing parameter of the dark photon for dark photon mass up to $80\ {\rm GeV}$.
We propose a novel dark matter (DM) detection strategy for the models with non-minimal dark sector. The main ingredients in the underlying DM scenario are a boosted DM particle and a heavier dark sector state. The relativistic DM impinged on target material scatters off inelastically to the heavier state which subsequently decays into DM along with lighter states including visible (Standard Model) particles. The expected signal event, therefore, accompanies a visible signature by the secondary cascade process associated with a recoiling of the target particle, differing from the typical neutri…
We study the sensitivity of the Fermilab Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) experiments, MicroBooNE, ICARUS, and SBND, to MeV- to GeV-scale inelastic dark matter interacting through a dark photon mediator. These models provide interesting scenarios of light thermal dark matter, which, while challenging to probe with direct and indirect detection experiments, are amenable to accelerator-based searches. We consider production of the dark sector states with both the Fermilab Booster 8 GeV and NuMI 120 GeV proton beams and study the signatures of scattering and decay of the heavy excited dark state in …
We perform a model-independent study of inelastic dark matter at the LHC, concentrating on the parameter space with the mass splitting between the excited and ground states of dark matter above a few hundred MeV, where the direct detection experiments are unlikely to explore. The generic signatures of inelastic dark matter at the LHC are displaced pions together with a monojet plus missing energy, and can be tested at the 7 TeV LHC.
We propose a new candidate of GeV scale inelastic dark matter (DM). Our construction has an anomaly-free $U(1)_X^{}$ gauge group with dark photon mediator, and can realize either scalar or fermionic inelastic DM. It is highly predictive and testable. We study the scattering rate of light inelastic DM with electrons in the XENON1T experiment and with nuclei in the XENON1T, CRESST-III, CDEX-1B and DarkSide-50 experiments. We resolve the recent XENON1T anomaly via electron recoil detection. Combining the XENON1T constraints from both electron recoils and nuclear recoils (including Migdal effect),…
Visible signals from the decays of light long-lived hidden sector particles have been extensively searched for at beam dump, fixed-target, and collider experiments. If such hidden sectors couple to the Standard Model through mediators heavier than $\sim 10$ GeV, their production at low-energy accelerators is kinematically suppressed, leaving open significant pockets of viable parameter space. We investigate this scenario in models of inelastic dark matter, which give rise to visible signals at various existing and proposed LHC experiments, such as ATLAS, CMS, LHCb, CODEX-b, FASER, and MATHUSLA…
We show that the current sensitivities of direct detection experiments have already reached the interesting parameter space of freeze-in dark matter models if the dark sector is in the inelastic dark matter framework and the excited dark matter state is cosmologically stable. Using results recently presented by the XENON1T experiment, we present constraints on these models. We also show that these models can explain the reported excess in the electron recoil signals if the mass gap between the ground state and the excited state is at keV scale.
Generalized Chiral $U(1)_{B-L}$ with Inelastic Scalar Dark Matter for the LZ 248 keV Event
Institute for Convergence of Basic Studies, Seoul National University of Science and Technology（首尔科学技术大学基础融合研究所）；Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research - Bhopal（印度科学教育与研究学院博帕尔分校物理系）
The inelastic dark matter model is one kind of popular models for the light dark matter (DM) below $O(1)$ GeV. If the mass splitting between DM excited and ground states is small enough, the co-annihilation becomes the dominant channel for thermal relic density and the DM excited state can be long-lived at the collider scale. We study scalar and fermion inelastic dark matter models for $ {\cal O}(1) $ GeV DM at Belle II with $ U(1)_D $ dark gauge symmetry broken into its $Z_2$ subgroup. We focus on dilepton displaced vertex signatures from decays of the DM excited state. With the help of preci…
Direct detection of Sub-GeV dark matter (DM) is challenging because the recoil energy of the nuclei or electron from the elastic scattering of a sub-GeV DM off the target can hardly reach the detector threshold. In this paper, we present a new direct detection strategy for sub-GeV DM via the three-body inelastic scattering process, $χ+ χ+ {\rm SM} \to η+ {\rm SM}$, where $χ$ is DM candidate and $η$ is either a DM composite state or any dark radiation. This process is common for a large class of DM models without presuming particular thermal history in the early Universe. The typical signature …
We consider inelastic dark matter scenarios with dark photon mediator and a dark Higgs boson. The dark Higgs boson spontaneously breaks the gauge symmetry associated with the dark photon, and gives the mass to the dark photon and the mass difference to dark particles. Such a dark Higgs boson can decay into the dark particles and hence can be another source of the dark particles at collider experiments. We analyze the sensitivity to decays of the excited state into the dark matter and charged particles at the FASER 2 experiment in fermion and scalar inelastic dark matter scenarios. We consider …
Inelastic Dark Matter and High-Energy Recoil Signatures in LZ
Department of Physics, Tsinghua University（清华大学物理系）；Center for High Energy Physics, Peking University（北京大学高能物理中心）；Department of Physics and Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology（香港科技大学物理系及赛马会高等研究院）
Dark matter can scatter and excite a nucleus to a low-lying excitation in a direct detection experiment. This signature is distinct from the canonical elastic scattering signal because the inelastic signal also contains the energy deposited from the subsequent prompt de-excitation of the nucleus. A measurement of the elastic and inelastic signal will allow a single experiment to distinguish between a spin-independent and spin-dependent interaction. For the first time, we characterise the inelastic signal for two-phase xenon detectors in which dark matter inelastically scatters off the Xe-129 o…
Feebly interacting thermal relics are promising dark matter candidates. Among them, scenarios of inelastic Dark Matter evade direct detection by suppressed elastic scattering off atomic nuclei. We introduce inelastic Dirac Dark Matter, a new model with two Dirac fermions in the MeV-GeV mass range. At feeble couplings, dark matter can depart from chemical as well as kinetic equilibrium with the Standard Model before freeze-out. In this case, the freeze-out is driven by conversion processes like coscattering, rather than coannihilation. We show that inelastic Dirac relics are consistent with cos…
There exist well motivated models of particle dark matter which predominantly scatter inelastically off nuclei in direct detection experiments. This inelastic transition causes the DM to up-scatter in terrestrial experiments into an excited state up to 550 keV heavier than the DM itself. An inelastic transition of this size is highly suppressed by both kinematics and nuclear form factors. We extend previous studies of inelastic DM to determine the present bounds on the scattering cross section, and the prospects for improvements in sensitivity. Three scenarios provide illustrative examples: ne…
We perform an extensive study of the DAMA annual modulation data in the context of inelastic dark matter. We find that inelastic dark matter with mass m > 15 GeV is excluded at the 95% confidence level by the combination of DAMA spectral information and results from other direct detection experiments. However, at smaller m, inelastic dark matter constitutes a possible solution to the DAMA puzzle.
Recent experimental results indicate that the dark matter sector may have a non-minimal structure with a spectrum of states and interactions. Inelastic scattering has received particular attention in light of DAMA's annual modulation signal. Composite inelastic dark matter (CiDM) provides a dynamical origin for the mass splittings in inelastic dark matter models. We show that higher dimensional operators in the CiDM Lagrangian lead to an admixture of inelastic and elastic scattering in the presence of parity violation. This scenario is consistent with direct detection experiments, even when pa…
Inelastic dark matter, in which WIMP-nucleus scatterings occur through a transition to an excited WIMP state ~ 100 keV above the ground state, provides a compelling explanation of the DAMA annual modulation signal. We demonstrate that the relative sensitivities of various dark matter direct detection experiments are modified such that the DAMA annual modulation signal can be reconciled with the absence of a reported signal at CDMS-Soudan, XENON10, ZEPLIN, CRESST, and KIMS for inelastic WIMPs with masses O(100 GeV). We review the status of these experiments, and make predictions for upcoming on…
We present a model independent analysis of inelastic dark matter transitions at direct detection experiments by modifying the elastic methodology of Fitzpatrick, et al. By analyzing the kinematics of inelastic transitions, we find the relevant variables to describe these scattering processes, the primary change being a modification of the $\vec{v}^\perp$ variable. Taking this into account, we list the relevant scattering matrix elements and modify the Mathematica package of Anand, et al. to calculate the necessary form factors. As an application, we determine the matrix elements of inelastic s…
Detection of electron recoils by dark matter (DM) may reveal the structure of the dark sector. We consider a scenario where a heavier DM particle inelastically scatters off an electron and is converted into a lighter DM particle. A small mass difference between the two DM particles is transferred into electron recoil energy. We investigate the DM-electron interaction mediated by a massive dark photon and evaluate the inelastic DM scattering rate, taking account of the atomic structure. It is found that the scattering rate is significantly enhanced because of the small mass splitting, which all…
Dark Matter particles with inelastic interactions are ubiquitous in extensions of the Standard Model, yet remain challenging to fully probe with existing strategies. We propose a series of powerful searches at hadron and lepton colliders that are sensitive to inelastic dark matter dynamics. In representative models featuring either a massive dark photon or a magnetic dipole interaction, we find that the LHC and BaBar could offer strong sensitivity to the thermal-relic dark matter parameter space for dark matter masses between ~100 MeV-100 GeV and fractional mass-splittings above the percent le…
We consider a dark sector containing a pair of almost degenerate states coupled to the Standard Model through a dark photon mediator. This set-up constitutes a simple realization of the inelastic dark matter scenario. The heaviest dark state is long-lived, in the limit of a small kinetic mixing among the dark photon and the Standard Model hypercharge gauge boson, and/or of a small mass splitting among the dark states. We study the prospects for detection of this scenario at proposed LHC experiments dedicated to search for long-lived particles, namely FASER, MATHUSLA, CODEX-b, AL3X, MAPP, ANUBI…
We explore the reach of low-background experiments made of small quantities of heavy nuclear isotopes in probing the parameter space of inelastic dark matter that is kinematically inaccessible to classic direct detection experiments. Through inelastic scattering with target nuclei, dark matter can yield a signal either via nuclear recoil or nuclear excitation. We present new results based on this approach, using data from low-energy gamma quanta searches in low-background experiments with Hf and Os metal samples, and measurements with CaWO$_4$ and PbWO$_4$ crystals as scintillating bolometers.…
Peaking consistently in June for nearly eleven years, the annual modulation signal reported by DAMA/NaI and DAMA/LIBRA offers strong evidence for the identity of dark matter. DAMA's signal strongly suggest that dark matter inelastically scatters into an excited state split by O(100 keV). We propose that DAMA is observing hyperfine transitions of a composite dark matter particle. As an example, we consider a meson of a QCD-like sector, built out of constituent fermions whose spin-spin interactions break the degeneracy of the ground state. An axially coupled U(1) gauge boson that mixes kinetical…
Inelastic dark matter is an interesting scenario for light thermal dark matter which is fully consistent with all cosmological probes as well as direct and indirect dark matter detection. The required mass splitting between dark matter $χ_1$ and its heavier twin $χ_2$ is naturally induced by a dark Higgs field which also provides a simple mechanism to give mass to the dark photon $A'$ present in the setup. The corresponding dark Higgs boson $h'$ is naturally the lightest dark sector state and therefore decays into Standard Model particles via Higgs mixing. In this work we study signatures with…
Neutron stars can provide new insight into dark matter properties, as these dense objects capture dark matter particles very efficiently. It has recently been shown that the energy transfer in the dark matter capture process can lead to appreciable heating of neutron stars, which may be observable with forthcoming infra-red telescopes. We examine this heating in the context of inelastic dark matter, for which signals in conventional nuclear-recoil based direct detection experiments are highly suppressed when the momentum transfer is small compared to the mass splitting between dark matter stat…
We propose a self-interacting inelastic dark matter (DM) scenario as a possible origin of the recently reported excess of electron recoil events by the XENON1T experiment. Two quasi-degenerate Majorana fermion DM interact within themselves via a light hidden sector massive gauge boson and with the standard model particles via gauge kinetic mixing. We also consider an additional long-lived singlet scalar which helps in realising correct dark matter relic abundance via a hybrid setup comprising of both freeze-in and freeze-out mechanisms. While being consistent with the required DM phenomenology…
We consider the capture of inelastic dark matter in white dwarves by inelastic spin-independent scattering on nuclei. We show that if the dark matter annihilates to standard-model particles then, under the assumption of primordial globular cluster formation, the observation of cold white dwarves in the globular cluster M4 appears inconsistent with explanations of the observed DAMA/LIBRA annual modulation signal based on spin-independent inelastic dark matter scattering. Alternatively if the inelastic dark matter scenario were to be confirmed and it was found to annihilate to standard-model par…
Composite dark matter is a natural setting for implementing inelastic dark matter - the O(100 keV) mass splitting arises from spin-spin interactions of constituent fermions. In models where the constituents are charged under an axial U(1) gauge symmetry that also couples to the Standard Model quarks, dark matter scatters inelastically off Standard Model nuclei and can explain the DAMA/LIBRA annual modulation signal. This article describes the early Universe cosmology of a minimal implementation of a composite inelastic dark matter model where the dark matter is a meson composed of a light and …
Direct dark matter detection focuses on elastic scattering of dark matter particles off nuclei. In this study, we explore inelastic scattering where the nucleus is excited to a low-lying state of 10-100 keV, with subsequent prompt de-excitation. We calculate the inelastic structure factors for the odd-mass xenon isotopes based on state-of-the-art large-scale shell-model calculations with chiral effective field theory WIMP-nucleon currents. For these cases, we find that the inelastic channel is comparable to or can dominate the elastic channel for momentum transfers around 150 MeV. We calculate…
We consider an inelastic dark matter model, where a fermion is charged under a broken U(1) gauge symmetry, and introduce a tiny Majorana mass term to split the fermion into two states with the light one being a dark matter candidate. If the gauge boson is light, it can mediate both elastic and inelastic dark matter self-interactions in dark halos, leading to observational consequences. Using a numerical technique based on partial wave analysis, we accurately calculate the elastic and inelastic self-scattering cross sections. We assume a thermal freeze-out scenario and fix the gauge coupling co…
Effect of inelastic scalar dark matter in hidden $U(1)$ scenario after the LZ nuclear recoil
Institute for Academic Innovation, Hokkaido University（北海道大学学术创新研究所）；Department of Physics, Hokkaido University（北海道大学物理系）；College of Physics, Sichuan University（四川大学物理学院）
Direct detection experiments aim at the detection of dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) by searching for signals from elastic dark matter nucleus scattering. Additionally, inelastic scattering in which the nucleus is excited is expected from nuclear physics and provides an additional detectable signal. In the context of a low-energy effective field theory we investigate the experimental reach to these inelastic transitions for xenon-based detectors employing a dual-phase time projection chamber. We find that once a dark matter signal is established, inelast…
We study luminous dark matter signals in models with inelastic scattering. Dark matter $χ_1$ that scatters inelastically off elements in the Earth is kicked into an excited state $χ_2$ that can subsequently decay into a monoenergetic photon inside a detector. The photon signal exhibits large sidereal-daily modulation due to the daily rotation of the Earth and anisotropies in the problem: the dark matter wind comes from the direction of Cygnus due to the Sun's motion relative to the galaxy, and the rock overburden is anisotropic, as is the dark matter scattering angle. This allows outstanding s…
Dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles is predicted to become gravitationally captured and accumulate in stars. While the subsequent annihilations of such particles lead to the injection of energy into stellar cores, elastically scattering dark matter particles do not generally yield enough energy to observably impact stellar phenomenology. Dark matter particles which scatter inelastically with nuclei (such that they reconcile the annual modulation reported by DAMA with the null results of CDMS and other experiments), however, can be captured by and annihilate in compa…
For a class of macroscopic dark matter models, inelastic scattering of dark matter off a nucleus can generate electromagnetic signatures with GeV-scale energy. The IceCube detector, with its kilometer-scale size, is ideal for directly detecting such inelastic scattering. Based on the slow particle trigger for the DeepCore detector, we perform a detailed signal and background simulation to estimate the discovery potential. For order 1 GeV deposited energy in each interaction, we find that IceCube can probe the dark matter masses up to one gram.
We consider searches for the inelastic scattering of low-mass dark matter at direct detection experiments, using the Migdal effect. We find that there are degeneracies between the dark matter mass and the mass splitting that are difficult to break. Using XENON1T data we set bounds on a previously unexplored region of the inelastic dark matter parameter space. For the case of exothermic scattering, we find that the Migdal effect allows xenon-based detectors to have sensitivity to dark matter with ${\cal O}(\mathrm{MeV})$ mass, far beyond what can be obtained with nuclear recoils alone.
The null signal from collider and dark matter (DM) direct detector experiments makes the interaction between DM and visible matter too small to reproduce the correct relic density for many thermal DM models. The remaining parameter space indicates that two almost degenerated states in the dark sector, the inelastic DM scenario, can co-annihilate in the early universe to produce the correct relic density. Regarding the direct detection of the inelastic DM scenario, the virialized DM component from the nearby halo is nonrelativistic and not able to excite the DM ground state, even if the relevan…
The XENON100 and CRESST experiments will directly test the inelastic dark matter explanation for DAMA's 8.9? sigma anomaly. This article discusses how predictions for direct detection experiments depend on uncertainties in quenching factor measurements, the dark matter interaction with the Standard Model and the halo velocity distribution. When these uncertainties are accounted for, an order of magnitude variation is found in the number of expected events at CRESST and XENON100.
Cosmic-ray boosted inelastic dark matter from neutrino-emitting active galactic nuclei
Virginia Tech（弗吉尼亚理工大学）；Massachusetts Institute of Technology（麻省理工学院）；Harvard University（哈佛大学）；The Pennsylvania State University（宾夕法尼亚州立大学）；Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory（费米国家加速实验室）；University of Chicago（芝加哥大学）
The DAMA annual modulation signature, interpreted as evidence for a spin-independent WIMP coupling, seems in conflict with null results from CDMS. However, in models of ``inelastic dark matter'', the experiments are compatible. Inelastic dark matter can arise in supersymmetric theories as the real component of a sneutrino mixed with a singlet scalar. In contrast with ordinary sneutrino dark matter, such particles can satisfy all experimental constraints while giving the appropriate relic abundance. We discuss the modifications to the signal seen at DAMA, in particular noting the strong suppres…
Direct detection experiments relying on nuclear recoil signatures lose sensitivity to sub-GeV dark matter for typical galactic velocities. This sensitivity is recovered if there exists another source of flux with higher momenta. Such an energetic flux of light dark matter could originate from the decay of mesons produced in inelastic cosmic ray collisions. We compute this novel production mechanism---a cosmic beam dump experiment---and estimate the resulting limits from XENON1T and LZ. We find that the dark matter flux from inelastic cosmic rays colliding with atmospheric nuclei can dominate o…
