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Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models
Published on: November 15, 2013
Dark matter with pseudoscalar-mediated interactions explains the DAMA signal and the galactic center excess
Chiara Arina1, Eugenio Del Nobile2, Paolo Panci3
1GRAPPA Institute, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1090 GL Amsterdam, Netherlands and Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, 98 Bis Boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France.
Abstract:
We study a Dirac dark matter particle interacting with ordinary matter via the exchange of a light pseudoscalar, and analyze its impact on both direct and indirect detection experiments. We show that this candidate can accommodate the long-standing DAMA modulated signal and yet be compatible with all exclusion limits at 99(S)% C.L. This result holds for natural choices of the pseudoscalar-quark couplings (e.g., flavor universal), which give rise to a significant enhancement of the dark matter-proton coupling with respect to the coupling to neutrons. We also find that this candidate can accommodate the observed 1-3 GeV gamma-ray excess at the Galactic center and at the same time have the correct relic density today. The model could be tested with measurements of rare meson decays, flavor changing processes, and searches for axionlike particles with mass in the MeV range.
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