The XENON1T excess of keV electron recoil events may be induced by the scattering of electrons and long-lived particles with MeV mass and high-speed. We consider a tangible model composed of two scalar MeV dark matter (DM) particles $S_A$ and $S_B$ to interpret the XENON1T keV excess via boosted $S_B$. A small mass splitting $m_{S_A}-m_{S_B}>0$ is introduced and the boosted $S_B$ can be produced by the dark annihilation process of $S_A S_A^\dagger \to ϕ\to S_B S_B^\dagger$ via a resonant scalar $ϕ$. The $S_B-$electron scattering is intermediated by a vector boson $X$. Although the constraints from BBN, CMB and low-energy experiments set the $X-$mediated $S_B-$electron scattering cross section to be $\lesssim 10^{-35} \mathrm{cm}^2$, the MeV scale DM with a resonance enhanced dark annihilation today can still provide enough boosted $S_B$ and induce the XENON1T keV excess. The relic density of $S_B$ is significantly reduced by the $s$-wave process of $S_B S_B^\dagger \to X X$ which is allowed by the constraints from CMB and 21-cm absorption. A very small relic fraction of $S_B$ is compatible with the stringent bounds on un-boosted $S_B$-electron scattering in DM direct detection and the $S_A$-electron scattering is also allowed.
We consider the boosted dark matter solution of the XENON1T excess to constrain the framework through loop-generated processes. The interaction of the boosted dark matter component, which sources the signal, effectively couples the cold dark matter background to the electrons, making it potentially visible in the electron recoil searches. Similarly, once the radiative corrections due to the Standard Model are taken into account, dark matter also scatters on quarks and becomes observable in nuclear recoil measurements. By analysing these processes, we find that the current direct detection cons…
The XENON collaboration recently reported an excess of electron recoil events in the low energy region with a significance of around $3.3σ$. An explanation of this excess in terms of thermal dark matter seems challenging. We propose a scenario where dark matter in the Milky Way halo gets boosted as a result of scattering with the diffuse supernova neutrino background. This interaction can accelerate the dark-matter to semi-relativistic velocities, and this flux, in turn, can scatter with the electrons in the detector, thereby providing a much better fit to the data. We identify regions in the …
LZ Nuclear-Recoil Excess from Boosted Light Magnetic Dipole-dipole Dark Matter
Wuyi University（五邑大学）；Nanjing University（南京大学）；National Taiwan University（台湾大学）；Phenikaa University（菲尼亚卡大学）；University of Oslo（奥斯陆大学）；University of California, Los Angeles（加州大学洛杉矶分校）
We present a self-interacting boosted dark matter (DM) scenario as a possible explanation of the recently reported excess of electron recoil events by the XENON1T experiment. The Standard Model (SM) has been extended with two vector-like fermion singlets charged under a dark $U(1)_D$ gauge symmetry to describe the dark sector. While the presence of light vector boson mediator leads to sufficient DM self-interactions to address the small scale issues of cold dark matter, the model with sub-GeV scale DM can explain the XENON1T excess via elastic scattering of boosted DM component with electrons …
Direct detection experiments turn to lose sensitivity of searching for a sub-MeV light dark matter candidate due to the threshold of recoil energy. However, such light dark matter particles can be accelerated by energetic cosmic-rays such that they can be detected with existing detectors. We derive the constraints on the scattering of a boosted light dark matter and electron from the XENON100/1T experiment. We illustrate that the energy dependence of the cross section plays a crucial role in improving both the detection sensitivity and also the complementarity of direct detection and other exp…
Motivated by the growing evidence for lepton flavour universality violation after the first results from Fermilab's muon $(g-2)$ measurement, we revisit one of the most widely studied anomaly free extensions of the standard model namely, gauged $L_μ-L_τ$ model, known to be providing a natural explanation for muon $(g-2)$. We also incorporate the presence of dark matter (DM) in this model in order to explain the recently reported electron recoil excess by the XENON1T collaboration. We show that the same neutral gauge boson responsible for generating the required muon $(g-2)$ can also mediate in…
The elusive nature of Dark Matter (DM) remains a mystery far from being solved. A vast effort is dedicated to search for signatures of feeble DM interactions with Standard Model particles. In this work, we explore the signatures of axion DM boosted by interactions with Supernova neutrinos: Neutrino-Boosted Axion DM ($ν$BADM). We focus on $ν$BADM converting into photons in the Galactic magnetic field, generating a peculiar gamma-ray flux. This signal falls in the poorly explored MeV energy range, that will be probed by next generation gamma-ray missions. Once more, astrophysical searches might …
We propose boosted dark matter (BDM) as a possible explanation for the excess of keV electron recoil events observed by XENON1T. BDM particles have velocities much larger than those typical of virialized dark matter, and, as such, BDM-electron scattering can naturally produce keV electron recoils. We show that the required BDM-electron scattering cross sections can be easily realized in a simple model with a heavy vector mediator. Though these cross sections are too large for BDM to escape from the Sun, the BDM flux can originate from the Galactic Center or from halo dark matter annihilations.…
The recently reported excess in XENON1T is explained by new leptonic forces, which are free from gauge anomalies. We focus on two scenarios with and without dark matter. In Scenario #1, the gauge boson of gauged lepton number U(1)$_{L_e-L_j}$, $j=μ$ or $τ$ provides non-standard interaction between solar neutrino and electron that enhances the number of electron recoil events in the XENON1T detector. In Scenario #2, the new gauge boson exclusively couples to electron and dark matter, then cosmic-ray electrons can transfer their momenta to dark matter in halo. The boosted dark matter generates t…
We consider the di-photon signal arises from two bunches of collimated photon jets emitting from a pair of highly boosted scalars. Following the discussion of detecting the photon jets at the collider, we extend the two-Higgs-doublet model (2HDM) by adding a gauge singlet scalar. To explain the di-photon excess which is recently observed at the first 13 TeV run of the LHC, the mixing between the heavy doublet state and the newly added singlet is crucially needed. After the mixing, one can have a heavy Higgs state $Y_2$ at 750 GeV and a very singlet-like scalar $Y_1$ of sub-GeV, which would be …
Usually information from early eras such as reheating is hard to come by. In this paper we argue that, given the right circumstances, right-handed sterile neutrinos decaying to left-handed active ones at relatively late times can carry information from reheating by propagating freely over the thermal history. For not too small mixing angles, suitable right-handed neutrino masses are around ${\cal O}$(MeV-GeV). We identify the typical spectra and argue that they provide information on the ratio of the inflaton mass to the reheating temperature. This primordial neutrino signal can be strong enou…
The CDF collaboration recently reported an upper limit on boosted top pair production and noted a significant excess above the estimated background of events with two ultra-massive boosted jets. We discuss the interpretation of the measurement and its fundamental implications. In case new physics is involved, the most naive contribution is from a new particle produced with a cross section that is a few times higher than that of the top quark and a sizable hadronic branching ratio. We quantify the resulting tension of a possible larger top pair cross section with the absence of excess found in …
A novel mechanism of boosting dark matter by cosmic neutrinos is proposed. The new mechanism is so significant that the arriving flux of dark matter in the mass window $1~{\rm keV} \lesssim m_{\rm DM} \lesssim 1~{\rm MeV}$ on Earth can be enhanced by two to four orders of magnitude compared to one only by cosmic electrons. Thereby we firstly derive conservative but still stringent bounds and future sensitivity limits for such cosmic-neutrino-boosted dark matter ($ν$BDM) from advanced underground experiments such as Borexino, PandaX, XENON1T, and JUNO.
Recently, the XENON1T experiment has observed an excess in the electronic recoil data in the recoil energy range of $1$-$7$ keV. One of the most favored new physics interpretations is electron scattering with a boosted particle with a velocity of $\sim 0.1$ and a mass of $\gtrsim 0.1\,\mathrm{MeV}$. If such a particle has a strong interaction with electrons, it may affect the standard scenario of cosmology or be observed at low-threshold direct detection experiments. We study various constraints, mainly focusing on those from the big-bang nucleosynthesis, supernova cooling, and direct detectio…
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…
Cosmic Ray Boosted Dark Matter in COSINUS: Modeling and Constraints
Max-Planck-Institut für Physik（马克斯·普朗克物理研究所）；Marietta-Blau-Institut für Teilchenphysik der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften（奥地利科学院玛丽塔·布劳粒子物理研究所）；Atominstitut, Technische Universität Wien（维也纳工业大学原子研究所）；INFN - Sezione di Roma（罗马国家核物理研究所分部）；Gran Sasso Science Institute（格兰萨索科学研究所）；INFN - Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso（格兰萨索国家实验室）；Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche e Chimiche, Università degli Studi dell’Aquila（阿奎拉大学物理与化学系）
Dark Matter Interpretation of the Super-Kamiokande Antineutrino Excess and Predictions for JUNO
Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC-Universitat de València（粒子物理研究所（IFIC），瓦伦西亚大学）；Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Bologna（博洛尼亚大学物理与天文学系）；INFN, Sezione di Bologna（意大利国家核物理研究所博洛尼部分所）；Université Clermont-Auvergne, CNRS, LPCA（克莱蒙奥弗涅大学，法国国家科学研究中心，克莱蒙奥弗涅物理实验室）
The dark matter interpretation for a recent observation of excessive electron recoil events at the XENON1T detector seems challenging because its velocity is not large enough to give rise to recoiling electrons of $\mathcal{O}({\rm keV})$. Fast-moving or boosted dark matter scenarios are receiving attention as a remedy for this issue, rendering the dark matter interpretation a possibility to explain the anomaly. We investigate various scenarios where such dark matter of spin 0 and 1/2 interacts with electrons via an exchange of vector, pseudo-scalar, or scalar mediators. We find parameter valu…
Indirect dark matter (DM) detection typically involves the observation of standard model (SM) particles emerging from DM annihilation/decay inside regions of high dark matter concentration. We consider an annihilation scenario in which this reaction has to be initiated by one of the DMs involved being boosted while the other is an ambient non-relativistic particle. This "trigger" DM must be created, for example, in a previous annihilation or decay of a heavier component of DM. Remarkably, boosted DM annihilating into gamma-rays at a specific point in a galaxy could actually have traveled from …
The direct detection of cosmic neutrino background (CNB) has been a longstanding challenge in particle physics, due to its low number density and tiny neutrino masses. In this work, we consider the spectrum of the CNB boosted by cosmic rays via the neutrino self-interaction, and calculate the event rate of the boosted CNB-plasmon scattering in term of the dielectric response, which accounts for in-medium screening effect of a condensed matter target. This can be taken as the new direct detection strategy for the CNB in complementary to the traditional one, which captures the CNB on a $β$-unsta…
The explorations of alternative dark matter (DM) candidates beyond WIMP motivated primordial black holes (PBHs) or sub-GeV DM particle in the Milky Way. Neutrinos from PBH evaporation at the present times play as a novel medium boosting sub-GeV DM and leaving signatures in the terrestrial experiments. We explore the boosted DM by the neutrino flux from PBH evaporation (PBH$ν$BDM) so as to connect the macroscopic PBHs to sub-GeV DM particle. We consider this PBH$ν$BDM scenario to interpret the XENON1T keV excess. The projected bounds on the sub-GeV DM-electron scattering cross section and the f…
The MiniBooNE collaboration has reported an excess of $460.5\pm 95.8$ electron-like events ($4.8σ$). We propose an explanation of these events in terms of a sterile neutrino decaying into a photon and a light neutrino. The sterile neutrino has a mass around 250 MeV and it is produced from kaon decays in the proton beam target via mixing with the muon or the electron in the range $10^{-11} \lesssim |U_{\ell 4}|^2 \lesssim 10^{-7}$ ($\ell = e,μ$). The model can be tested by considering the time distribution of the events in MiniBooNE and by looking for single-photon events in running or upcoming…
The secluded dark matter resides within a hidden sector and self-annihilates into lighter mediators which subsequently decay to the Standard Model (SM) particles. Depending on the coupling strength of the mediator to the SM, the hidden sector can be kinetically decoupled from the SM bath when the temperature drops below the mediator's mass, and the dark matter annihilation cross section at freeze-out is thus possible to be boosted above the conventional value of weak interacting massive particles. We present a comprehensive study on thermodynamic evolution of the hidden sector from the first p…
Dark matter particles near the center of a blazar, after being accelerated by the elastic collisions with relativistic electrons and protons in the blazar jet, can be energetic enough to trigger detectable signals at terrestrial detectors. In this work, focusing on the blazars TXS 0506+056 and BL Lacertae, we derive novel limits on the cross section of the elastic scattering between dark matter and electrons by means of the available Super-Kamiokande data. Thanks to the large blazar-boosted dark matter flux, the limit on the dark matter-electron scattering cross section for dark matter masses …
We study the probing prospects of cosmic ray boosted dark matter (DM) in the framework of simplified electron-philic dark photon model. Focusing on the dark matter and dark photon masses around keV $\sim $ MeV scale, we consider the bounds obtained from the XENON1T and Super-K experiments. The electron bound state effects are treated carefully in calculating the XENON1T constraint. As for the detection at neutrino detector where the energy threshold is relatively higher, the large logarithmic effects induced by the scale hierarchy between the masses and momentum transfer are considered by intr…
In the scenario with a multiplicity of sectors which independently break supersymmetry, multiplicity of goldstini are predicted. We propose a new interpretation of the electron recoil excess at 2-7 keV observed in the XENON1T experiment with very long-lived goldstini DM elastically scattering off the electrons. The goldstini DM can be boosted by the late-decay of the other nearly degenerate (long-lived) goldstini DM, with their tiny mass difference being converted into kinetic energy of the lighter goldstini DM and neutrinos. We show that viable parameter space can be found which can explain t…
Recently, the MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab has updated the results with increased data and reported an excess of $560.6 \pm 119.6$ electronlike events ($4.7σ$) in the neutrino operation mode. In this paper, we propose a scenario to account for the excess where a Dirac-type sterile neutrino, produced by a charged kaon decay through the neutrino mixing, decays into a leptophilic axionlike particle ($\ell$ALP) and a muon neutrino. The electron-positron pairs produced from the $\ell$ALP decays can be interpreted as electronlike events provided that their opening angle is sufficiently small. In…
In models of dark matter (DM) with Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation, where the annihilation rate scales as the inverse velocity, N-body simulations of DM structure formation suggest that the local annihilation signal may be dominated by small, dense, cold subhalos. This contrasts with the usual assumption of a signal originating from the smooth DM halo, with much higher velocity dispersion. Accounting for local substructure modifies the parameter space for which Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilating DM can explain the PAMELA and Fermi excesses. Limits from the inner galaxy and the cosmic microwave …
An excess in gamma-rays from the galactic center observed by the Fermi Large Area Telescope has been proposed as a possible signal of dark matter annihilation. Recently, the Fermi collaboration showed that systematic errors broaden the range of spectral shapes for this excess. We demonstrate fits to this range for (1) flavor-violating annihilations to top-charm pairs and (2) annihilations to on-shell bosonic mediators which decay to Standard Model quarks in a boosted frame. Annihilation of 40 - 100 GeV DM to pairs of spin-1 mediators provide a good fit to the Fermi-LAT spectrum with a normaliz…
We show that the event excess observed by the IceCube collaboration at TeV--PeV energies, usually interpreted as evidence for astrophysical neutrinos, can be explained alternatively by the scattering of highly boosted dark matter particles. Specifically, we consider a scenario where a $\sim 4$ PeV scalar dark matter particle $ϕ$ can decay to a much lighter dark fermion $χ$, which in turn scatters off nuclei in the IceCube detector. Besides these events, which are exclusively shower-like, the model also predicts a secondary population of events at $\mathcal{O}(100 \text{TeV})$ originating from …
The recoil threshold of Direct Detection experiments limits the mass range of Dark Matter (DM) particles that can be detected, with most DD experiments being blind to sub-MeV DM particles. However, these light DM particles can be boosted to very high energies via collisions with energetic Cosmic Ray electrons. This allows Dark Matter particles to induce detectable recoil in the target of Direct Detection experiments. We derive constraints on scattering cross section of DM and electron, using XENONnT and Super-Kamiokande data. Vector and scalar mediators are considered, in the heavy and light r…
The dark matter (DM) can consist of the primordial black holes (PBHs) in addition to the conventional weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). The Poisson fluctuations of the PBH number density produce the isocurvature perturbations which can dominate the matter power spectrum at small scales and enhance the early structure formation. We study how the WIMP annihilation from those early formed structures can affect the CMB (in particular the E-mode polarization anisotropies and $y$-type spectral distortions) and global 21cm signals. Our studies would be of particular interest for the light…
We initiate the study of novel thermal dark matter (DM) scenarios where present-day annihilation of DM in the galactic center produces boosted stable particles in the dark sector. These stable particles are typically a subdominant DM component, but because they are produced with a large Lorentz boost in this process, they can be detected in large volume terrestrial experiments via neutral-current-like interactions with electrons or nuclei. This novel DM signal thus combines the production mechanism associated with indirect detection experiments (i.e. galactic DM annihilation) with the detectio…
The XENON1T collaboration reported an excess of the low-energy electron recoil events between 1 and 7 keV. We explore the possibility to explain such an anomaly by the MeV-scale dark matter (DM) heated by the interior of the Sun due to the same DM-electron interaction as in the detector. The kinetic energies of heated DM particles can reach a few keV, and can potentially account for the excess signals detected by XENON1T. We study different form factors of the DM-electron interactions, $F(q)\propto q^i$ with $i=0,1,2$ and $q$ being the momentum exchange, and find that for all these cases the i…
Probing Cosmic-Ray-Boosted and Supernova-Sourced Sub-GeV Dark Matter with Paleo-Detectors
International Centre for Theoretical Physics Asia-Pacific (ICTP-AP), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（国际理论物理中心亚太分部，中国科学院大学）；Key Laboratory of DM and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences（暗物质与空间天文重点实验室，中国科学院紫金山天文台）；School of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Science and Technology of China（中国科学技术大学天文与空间科学学院）；Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical Physics, Nanjing Normal University（南京师范大学物理系和理论物理研究所）
Dark matter (DM) direct detection experiments have been setting strong limits on the DM-nucleon scattering cross section at the DM mass above a few GeV, but leave large parameter space unexplored in the low mass region. DM is likely to be scattered and boosted by relativistic cosmic rays in the expanding universe if it can generate nuclear recoils in direct detection experiments to offer observable signals. Since low energy threshold detectors using Germanium have provided good constraints on ordinary halo GeV-scale DM, it is necessary to re-analyze 102.8 kg$\times$day data in the CDEX-10 expe…
