Migdal-type effect in the dark matter absorption process

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Dzuba, V. A., Flambaum, V. V., Samsonov, I. B.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2023
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author Dzuba, V. A.
Flambaum, V. V.
Samsonov, I. B.
author_facet Dzuba, V. A.
Flambaum, V. V.
Samsonov, I. B.
contents We propose a new mechanism of absorption of dark matter particles in atoms which resembles the Migdal effect of inelastic dark matter scattering. In this process, atom may be ionized upon absorption of a scalar particle through the scalar-nucleon Yukawa-type interaction. The crucial difference from the inelastic dark matter scattering on atoms is that the total energy of the particle, including its rest mass $mc^2$-term, is transferred to the electron. As a result, the emitted electron kinetic energy is about six orders in magnitude bigger than that in the dark matter scattering process. This absorption process allows one to probe dark matter particles with a relatively small mass, in the range from 1 to 100 keV, that cannot be detected in the scattering process. It is also possible to detect hypothetical scalar particles emitted from the Sun. We calculate absorption cross sections of this process in Na, Si, Ar, Ge, I, Xe, and Tl target atoms and extract limits on the scalar-nucleon interaction constant from null results of XENONnT experiment.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2312_10566
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Migdal-type effect in the dark matter absorption process
Dzuba, V. A.
Flambaum, V. V.
Samsonov, I. B.
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Physics - Experiment
Atomic Physics
We propose a new mechanism of absorption of dark matter particles in atoms which resembles the Migdal effect of inelastic dark matter scattering. In this process, atom may be ionized upon absorption of a scalar particle through the scalar-nucleon Yukawa-type interaction. The crucial difference from the inelastic dark matter scattering on atoms is that the total energy of the particle, including its rest mass $mc^2$-term, is transferred to the electron. As a result, the emitted electron kinetic energy is about six orders in magnitude bigger than that in the dark matter scattering process. This absorption process allows one to probe dark matter particles with a relatively small mass, in the range from 1 to 100 keV, that cannot be detected in the scattering process. It is also possible to detect hypothetical scalar particles emitted from the Sun. We calculate absorption cross sections of this process in Na, Si, Ar, Ge, I, Xe, and Tl target atoms and extract limits on the scalar-nucleon interaction constant from null results of XENONnT experiment.
title Migdal-type effect in the dark matter absorption process
topic High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Physics - Experiment
Atomic Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.10566