Dedicated searches for leptophilic dark matter with XENON100 detector

Mayra D Cervantes, Purdue University

Abstract

Dark Matter in the form of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) is typically expected to induce nuclear recoils in a terrestrial detector target [20] with an annually modulated rate due to the motion of the Earth around the Sun [21, 22]. Although such a modulation has been observed by the DAMA/LIBRA collaboration using sodium iodine [23], it is difficult to interpret it as a Dark Matter signal, given the null results from other experiments. Experimental anomalies like the annual modulation signal observed in the DAMA/LIBRA project cannot be explained by traditional Dark Matter scattering on atomic nuclei, but could be accommodated if Dark Matter scatters predominantly off electrons or if most of the energy is release in the form of photons. Data from XENON100 detector is used to search for dark matter interacting with electrons. In particular models that are compatible with DAMA/LIBRA signal and consistent with the null results from most of the direct detection experiments are tested. We exclude a variety of representative dark matter models that would induce electronic recoils. For axial-vector couplings to electrons, we exclude cross-sections above 6 × 10–35cm 2 for particle masses of mχ = 2 GeV/ c2. Independent of the dark matter halo, we exclude leptophilic models as explanation for the long-standing DAMA/LIBRA signal, such as couplings to electrons through axial-vector interactions at a 4.4σ confidence level, mirror dark matter at 3.6σ, and luminous dark matter at 4.6σ.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Lang, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Astrophysics

COinS