Overcoming velocity suppression in dark-matter direct-detection experiments

Keith R. Dienes, Jason Kumar, Brooks Thomas, and David Yaylali
Phys. Rev. D 90, 015012 – Published 14 July 2014

Abstract

Pseudoscalar couplings between Standard-Model quarks and dark matter are normally not considered relevant for dark-matter direct-detection experiments because they lead to velocity-suppressed scattering cross sections in the nonrelativistic limit. However, at the nucleon level, such couplings are effectively enhanced by factors of order O(mN/mq)103, where mN and mq are appropriate nucleon and quark masses, respectively. This enhancement can thus be sufficient to overcome the corresponding velocity suppression, implying—contrary to common lore—that direct-detection experiments can indeed be sensitive to pseudoscalar couplings. In this work, we explain how this enhancement arises, and present a model-independent analysis of pseudoscalar interactions at direct-detection experiments. We also identify those portions of the corresponding dark-matter parameter space which can be probed at current and future experiments of this type, and discuss the role of isospin violation in enhancing the corresponding experimental reach.

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  • Received 5 January 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.90.015012

© 2014 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Keith R. Dienes1,2,*, Jason Kumar3,†, Brooks Thomas4,‡, and David Yaylali3,§

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
  • 2Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
  • 3Department of Physics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
  • 4Department of Physics, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada

  • *dienes@email.arizona.edu
  • jkumar@hawaii.edu
  • bthomas@physics.carleton.ca
  • §yaylali@hawaii.edu

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Vol. 90, Iss. 1 — 1 July 2014

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