Determining (All) Dark Matter-Electron Scattering Rates From Material Properties
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arXiv
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| Auteurs principaux: | , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Publié: |
2025
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| _version_ | 1866908619763613696 |
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| author | Hochberg, Yonit Khalaf, Majed Lenoci, Alessandro Ovadia, Rotem |
| author_facet | Hochberg, Yonit Khalaf, Majed Lenoci, Alessandro Ovadia, Rotem |
| contents | We show that the scattering rate for any dark matter (DM) interaction with electrons in any target is proportional to several measurable material properties, encapsulated by a single master formula. This generalizes the dielectric function formalism--developed for DM interactions that couple to electron density--to any interaction, incorporating both spin-dependent and spin-independent interactions simultaneously. This formalism links the full many-body response of a target system to the DM probe in a clear and simple form, providing a reliable event rate prediction from measurable material quantities. We demonstrate the utility of our formalism by placing new limits from existing data on a class of spin-dependent light DM interactions, as their rates--contrary to common lore--are determined entirely by the dielectric function. We further highlight a promising avenue for the detection of sub-MeV DM using the rare earth metal Praseodymium, which exhibits a spin-dependent anisotropic response down to the meV scale. Our results lay the groundwork for a rapid systematic investigation of novel electron scattering targets going beyond the classic spin-independent searches, enhancing the prospects for DM detection. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_25835 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Determining (All) Dark Matter-Electron Scattering Rates From Material Properties Hochberg, Yonit Khalaf, Majed Lenoci, Alessandro Ovadia, Rotem High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Experiment We show that the scattering rate for any dark matter (DM) interaction with electrons in any target is proportional to several measurable material properties, encapsulated by a single master formula. This generalizes the dielectric function formalism--developed for DM interactions that couple to electron density--to any interaction, incorporating both spin-dependent and spin-independent interactions simultaneously. This formalism links the full many-body response of a target system to the DM probe in a clear and simple form, providing a reliable event rate prediction from measurable material quantities. We demonstrate the utility of our formalism by placing new limits from existing data on a class of spin-dependent light DM interactions, as their rates--contrary to common lore--are determined entirely by the dielectric function. We further highlight a promising avenue for the detection of sub-MeV DM using the rare earth metal Praseodymium, which exhibits a spin-dependent anisotropic response down to the meV scale. Our results lay the groundwork for a rapid systematic investigation of novel electron scattering targets going beyond the classic spin-independent searches, enhancing the prospects for DM detection. |
| title | Determining (All) Dark Matter-Electron Scattering Rates From Material Properties |
| topic | High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Experiment |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.25835 |