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Search for Daily Modulation of MeV Dark Matter Signals with DAMIC-M.
I Arnquist1, N Avalos2, D Baxter3
1Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, Washington, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|March 22, 2024
Summary
Researchers searched for dark matter (DM) using the DAMIC-M detector. No daily modulation signal was found, leading to improved limits on MeV-scale dark matter particles interacting with electrons.
Area of Science:
- Particle physics
- Astrophysics
- Cosmology
Background:
- Dark matter (DM) interactions within Earth can cause detectable daily flux modulations.
- Detectors sensitive to DM-electron interactions can search for these signals.
- Previous searches have not fully explored the MeV-scale dark matter mass range for such signals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To search for daily modulation signals from MeV-scale dark matter particles.
- To set exclusion limits on dark matter-electron scattering.
- To improve upon existing limits for dark matter interactions via ultralight mediators.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the DAMIC-M prototype detector during its first underground operation.
- Performed a model-independent analysis of 1e- events for sidereal daily modulation.
- Set exclusion limits on dark matter mass and interaction cross-sections.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant daily modulation signal was observed in the 1e- event rate.
- Exclusion limits were placed on dark matter in the mass range [0.53, 2.7] MeV/c² interacting via a dark photon mediator.
- The search improved previous limits by approximately two orders of magnitude.
Conclusions:
- The absence of a signal places stringent constraints on MeV-scale dark matter-electron scattering.
- This daily modulation search provides the strongest limits to date for dark matter masses around 1 MeV/c² interacting via ultralight mediators.
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