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At least 127 records · Page 7

Search for Dark Matter Induced Deexcitation of 180 Ta m

Weak-scale dark matter particles, in collisions with nuclei, can mediate transitions between different nuclear energy levels. In particular, owing to sizeable momentum exchange, dark matter particles can enable de-excitation of nuclear isomers that are extremely long lived with respect to regular radioactive decays. In this paper, we utilize data from a past experiment with 180 Ta m to search for γ-lines that would accompany dark matter induced de-excitation of this isomer. Non-observation of such transitions above background yields the first direct constraint on the lifetime of 180 Ta m against DM-initiated transitions: T 1/2 > 1.3 × 10 14 a at 90% C.I. Using this result, we derive novel constraints on dark matter models with strongly interacting relics, and on models with inelastic dark matter particles. Existing constraints are strengthened by this independent new method. As a result, the obtained limits are also valid for the Standard Model γ-decay of 180 Ta m .

150 ≤ A ≤ 189↗

First Measurement of Discrimination between Helium and Electron Recoils in Liquid Xenon for Low-Mass Dark Matter Searches

We report the first measurement of discrimination between low-energy helium recoils and electron recoils in liquid xenon. This result is relevant to proposed low-mass dark matter searches which seek to dissolve light target nuclei in the active volume of liquid-xenon time projection chambers. Low-energy helium recoils were produced by degrading α particles from Po 210 with a gold foil situated on the cathode of a liquid xenon time-projection chamber. The resulting population of helium recoil events is well separated from electron recoils and is also offset from the expected position of xenon nuclear recoil events. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Singlet-doublet dark matter revisited

The singlet-doublet model is an economical model of weakly interacting dark matter. We revisit it in light of improved dark matter direct detection limits. We characterize the now well-defined regions of remaining parameter space with suppressed direct detection cross sections and discuss features of the spectrum accessible at the Large Hadron Collider. We discuss when and how parameters in these special regions might be realized as the result of renormalization group evolution when starting with generic ultraviolet initial conditions.

Particle dark matter↗

Searches for Light Dark Matter and Evidence of Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering of Solar Neutrinos with the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment

We present searches for light dark matter (DM) with masses 3–9 GeV/𝑐 2 in the presence of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CE⁢𝜈⁢NS) from 8 B solar neutrinos with the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment. This analysis uses a 5.7 tonne-yr exposure with data collected between March 2023 and April 2025. In an energy range spanning 1–6 keV, we report no significant excess of events attributable to dark matter nuclear recoils, but we observe a significant signal from 8 B CE ⁢𝜈 ⁢NS interactions that is consistent with expectation. We set world-leading limits on spin-independent and spin-dependent-neutron DM-nucleon interactions for masses down to 5 GeV/𝑐 2 . In the no-dark-matter scenario, we observe a signal consistent with 8 B CE⁢ 𝜈 ⁢NS events, corresponding to a 4.5⁢𝜎 statistical significance. This is the most significant evidence of 8 B CE 𝜈 ⁢NS interactions and is enabled by robust background modeling and mitigation techniques. This demonstrates LZ’s ability to detect rare signals at keV-scale energies.

Dark matter detectors↗

Measurement of charge and light yields for 127 Xe L -shell electron captures in liquid xenon

Dark matter searches using dual-phase xenon time-projection chambers (LXe-TPCs) rely on their ability to reject background electron recoils (ERs) while searching for signal-like nuclear recoils (NRs). ER response is typically calibrated using β -decay sources, such as tritium, but these calibrations do not characterize events accompanied by an atomic vacancy, as in solar neutrino scatters off inner-shell electrons. Such events lead to emission of x rays and Auger electrons, resulting in higher electron-ion recombination and thus a more NR-like response than inferred from β -decay calibration. We present a cross-calibration of tritium β -decays and Xe 127 electron-capture decays (which produce inner-shell vacancies) in a small-scale LXe-TPC and give the most precise measurements to date of light and charge yields for the Xe 127 L -shell electron-capture in liquid xenon. We observe a 6.9 σ ( 9.2 σ ) discrepancy in the L -shell capture response relative to tritium β decays, measured at a drift field of 363 ± 14 V / cm ( 258 ± 13 V / cm ), when compared to simulations tuned to reproduce the correct β -decay response. In dark matter searches, use of a background model that neglects this effect leads to overcoverage (higher limits) for background-only multi-kiloton-year exposures, but at a level much less than the 1 - σ experiment-to-experiment variation of the 90% C.L. upper limit on the interaction rate of a 50 GeV / c 2 dark matter particle.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Models of ultraheavy dark matter visible to macroscopic mechanical sensing arrays

In recent years, the sensitivity of optomechanical force sensors has improved leading to increased interest in using these devices as particle detectors. In this study we consider scenarios where dark matter with mass close to the Planck scale may be probed by a large array of optomechanical accelerometers. We motivate a macroscopic mechanical search for ultraheavy dark matter, exemplified by the efforts of the Windchime Collaboration, by providing a survey of the model space that would be visible to such a search. We consider two classes of models, one that invokes a new long-range unscreened force and another that is only gravitationally interacting. We identify significant regions of well-motivated, potentially visible parameter space for versatile models such as Q-balls, composite dark matter, relics of gravitational singularities, and gravitationally produced ultraheavy particles.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗