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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.15764 |
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| _version_ | 1866910959986016256 |
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| author | Yin, Wen |
| author_facet | Yin, Wen |
| contents | Paleo detectors are emerging dark matter detection technology that exploits ancient minerals as passive, time-integrated detectors. Unlike conventional real-time experiments, they search for permanent damage tracks-typically tens of nanometers to micrometers long-left in crystal lattices by rare particle interactions, most notably dark matter induced nuclear recoils accumulated over millions to billions of years. In this paper I propose a direct detection strategy for cosmic walls-either bubble walls produced by a late-time first-order phase transition or domain walls in a scaling regime-using paleo detectors as the target medium. Because the cosmic wall is expected to traverse Earth at most $\mathcal{O}(1)$ time(s) in cosmic history, an ancient, continuously exposed detector is the only feasible way to observe it directly. By calculating the target recoils, I find that the smoking-gun signature would be parallel damage tracks found worldwide in minerals older than the wall-crossing epoch. I derive the limit on the wall-target coupling by assuming that a wall passed through the Earth within the last 0.5 Gyr. I also mention a novel indirect detection of ultra-relativistic cosmic walls by noting the induced cosmic rays. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_15764 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Direct Detection of Cosmic Walls with Paleo Detectors Yin, Wen High Energy Physics - Phenomenology Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics Paleo detectors are emerging dark matter detection technology that exploits ancient minerals as passive, time-integrated detectors. Unlike conventional real-time experiments, they search for permanent damage tracks-typically tens of nanometers to micrometers long-left in crystal lattices by rare particle interactions, most notably dark matter induced nuclear recoils accumulated over millions to billions of years. In this paper I propose a direct detection strategy for cosmic walls-either bubble walls produced by a late-time first-order phase transition or domain walls in a scaling regime-using paleo detectors as the target medium. Because the cosmic wall is expected to traverse Earth at most $\mathcal{O}(1)$ time(s) in cosmic history, an ancient, continuously exposed detector is the only feasible way to observe it directly. By calculating the target recoils, I find that the smoking-gun signature would be parallel damage tracks found worldwide in minerals older than the wall-crossing epoch. I derive the limit on the wall-target coupling by assuming that a wall passed through the Earth within the last 0.5 Gyr. I also mention a novel indirect detection of ultra-relativistic cosmic walls by noting the induced cosmic rays. |
| title | Direct Detection of Cosmic Walls with Paleo Detectors |
| topic | High Energy Physics - Phenomenology Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.15764 |