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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Wave Dark Matter

Here we review the physics and phenomenology of wave dark matter: a bosonic dark matter candidate lighter than about 30 eV. Such particles have a de Broglie wavelength exceeding the average interparticle separation in a galaxy like the Milky Way and are, thus, well described as a set of classical waves. We outline the particle physics motivations for such particles, including the quantum chromodynamics axion as well as ultralight axion-like particles such as fuzzy dark matter. The wave nature of the dark matter implies a rich phenomenology: Wave interference gives rise to order unity density fluctuations on de Broglie scale in halos. One manifestation is vortices where the density vanishes and around which the velocity circulates. There is one vortex ring per de Broglie volume on average. For sufficiently low masses, soliton condensation occurs at centers of halos. The soliton oscillates and undergoes random walks, which is another manifestation of wave interference. The halo and subhalo abundance is expected to be suppressed at small masses, but the precise prediction from numerical wave simulations remains to be determined. For ultralight ∼10 −22 eV dark matter, the wave interference substructures can be probed by tidal streams or gravitational lensing. The signal can be distinguished from that due to subhalos by the dependence on stream orbital radius or image separation. Axion detection experiments are sensitive to interference substructures for wave dark matter that is moderately light. The stochastic nature of the waves affects the interpretation of experimental constraints and motivates the measurement of correlation functions. Current constraints and open questions, covering detection experiments and cosmological, galactic, and black hole observations, are discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Probing Dark Matter Using Precision Measurements of Stellar Accelerations

Dark matter comprises the bulk of the matter in the Universe, but its particle nature and cosmological origin remain mysterious. Knowledge of the dark matter density distribution in the Milky Way Galaxy is crucial both to our understanding of the standard cosmological model and for grounding direct and indirect searches for the particles comprising dark matter. Current measurements of Galactic dark matter content rely on model assumptions to infer the forces acting upon stars from the distribution of observed velocities. Here, we propose to apply the precision radial velocity method, optimized in recent years for exoplanet astronomy, to measure the change in the velocity of stars over time, thereby providing a direct probe of the local gravitational potential in the Galaxy. Using numerical simulations, we develop a realistic strategy to observe the differential accelerations of stars in our Galactic neighborhood with next-generation telescopes, at the level of 10 –8 cm/s 2 . Our simulations show that detecting accelerations at this level with an ensemble of 10 3 stars requires the effect of stellar noise on radial velocity measurements to be reduced to < 10 cm/s. Furthermore, the measured stellar accelerations may then be used to extract the local dark matter density and morphological parameters of the density profile.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Directional Dark Matter Detection With Scintillating Crystals

Dark matter is in every galaxy including our own. Dark matter is composed of non-visible particles which makes it difficult to measure. During this research project I used a Computer Aided Design Software (CAD) called AutoDesk Fusion 360 to create a housing component for a scintillating crystal that would be compatible with the front end of the Astro Dewar holding a CCD. This component allowed us to measure the dark matter UV energy given off by the scintillating crystal.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Lighting up the LHC with Dark Matter

We show that simultaneously explaining dark matter and the observed value of the muon’s magnetic dipole moment may lead to yet unexplored photon signals at the LHC. We consider the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model with electroweakino masses in the few-to-several hundred GeV range, and opposite sign of the Bino mass parameter with respect to both the Higgsino and Wino mass parameters. In such region of parameter space, the spin-independent elastic scattering cross section of a Bino-like dark matter candidate in direct detection experiment is suppressed by cancellations between different amplitudes, and the observed dark matter relic density can be realized via Bino-Wino co-annihilation. Moreover, the observed value of the muon’s magnetic dipole moment can be explained by Bino and Wino loop contributions. Interestingly, “radiative” decays of Wino-like neutralinos into the lightest neutralino and a photon are enhanced, whereas decays into leptons are suppressed. While these decay patterns weaken the reach of multi-lepton searches at the LHC, the radiative decay opens a new window for probing dark matter at the LHC through the exploration of parameter space regions beyond those currently accessible. To complement the current electroweakino searches, we propose searching for a single (soft) photon plus missing transverse energy, accompanied by a hard initial state radiation jet.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Light(ly)-coupled dark matter in the keV range: freeze-in and constraints

Dark matter produced from thermal freeze-out is typically restricted to have masses above roughly 1 MeV. However, if the couplings are small, the freeze-in mechanism allows for production of dark matter down to keV masses. We consider dark matter coupled to a dark photon that mixes with the photon and dark matter coupled to photons through an electric or magnetic dipole moment. We discuss contributions to the freeze-in production of such dark matter particles from standard model fermion-antifermion annihilation and plasmon decay. We also derive constraints on such dark matter from the cooling of red giant stars and horizontal branch stars, carefully evaluating the thermal processes as well as the bremsstrahlung process that dominates for masses above the plasma frequency. We find that the parameters needed to obtain the observed relic abundance from freeze-in are excluded below a few tens of keV, depending on the value of the dark gauge coupling constant for the dark photon portal model, and below a few keV, depending on the reheating temperature for dark matter with an electric or magnetic dipole moment. While laboratory probes are unlikely to probe these freeze-in scenarios in general, we show that for dark matter with an electric or magnetic dipole moment and for dark matter masses above the reheating temperature, the couplings needed for freeze-in to produce the observed relic abundance can be probed partially by upcoming direct-detection experiments.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Twin sterile neutrino dark matter

We propose that the dark matter of our Universe could be sterile neutrinos which reside within the twin sector of a mirror twin Higgs model. In our scenario, these particles are produced through a version of the Dodelson-Widrow mechanism that takes place entirely within the twin sector, yielding a dark matter candidate that is consistent with x-ray and gamma-ray line constraints. Furthermore, this scenario can naturally avoid the cosmological problems that are typically encountered in mirror twin Higgs models. In particular, if the sterile neutrinos in the Standard Model sector decay out of equilibrium, they can heat the Standard Model bath and reduce the contributions of the twin particles to N eff . Such decays also reduce the effective temperature of the dark matter, thereby relaxing constraints from large-scale structure. The sterile neutrinos included in this model are compatible with the seesaw mechanism for generating Standard Model neutrino masses. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Snowmass2021: Vera C. Rubin Observatory as a Flagship Dark Matter Experiment

Establishing that Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a flagship dark matter experiment is an essential pathway toward understanding the physical nature of dark matter. In the past two decades, wide-field astronomical surveys and terrestrial laboratories have jointly created a phase transition in the ecosystem of dark matter models and probes. Going forward, any robust understanding of dark matter requires astronomical observations, which still provide the only empirical evidence for dark matter to date. We have a unique opportunity right now to create a dark matter experiment with Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). This experiment will be a coordinated effort to perform dark matter research, and provide a large collaborative team of scientists with the necessary organizational and funding supports. This approach leverages existing investments in Rubin. Studies of dark matter with Rubin LSST will also guide the design of, and confirm the results from, other dark matter experiments. Supporting a collaborative team to carry out a dark matter experiment with Rubin LSST is the key to achieving the dark matter science goals that have already been identified as high priority by the high-energy physics and astronomy communities.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Deepest sensitivity to wavelike dark photon dark matter with superconducting radio frequency cavities

Wavelike, bosonic dark matter candidates like axions and dark photons can be detected using microwave cavities known as haloscopes. Traditionally, haloscopes consist of tunable copper cavities operating in the TM 010 mode, but ohmic losses have limited their performance. In contrast, superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities can achieve quality factors of ∼ 10 10 , perhaps 5 orders of magnitude better than copper cavities, leading to more sensitive dark matter detectors. In this paper, we first derive that the scan rate of a haloscope experiment is proportional to the loaded quality factor Q L , even if the cavity bandwidth is much narrower than the dark matter halo line shape. We then present a proof-of-concept search for dark photon dark matter using a nontunable ultrahigh-quality SRF cavity. We exclude dark photon dark matter with kinetic mixing strengths of χ > 1.5 × 10 − 16 for a dark photon mass of m A ′ = 5.35 μ eV , achieving the deepest exclusion to wavelike dark photons by almost an order of magnitude. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ultimate precision limit of noise sensing and dark matter search

Abstract The nature of dark matter is unknown and calls for a systematical search. For axion dark matter, such a search relies on finding feeble random noise arising from the weak coupling between dark matter and microwave haloscopes. We model such process as a quantum channel and derive the fundamental precision limit of noise sensing. An entanglement-assisted strategy based on two-mode squeezed vacuum is thereby demonstrated optimal, while the optimality of a single-mode squeezed vacuum is found limited to the lossless case. We propose a “nulling” measurement (squeezing and photon counting) to achieve the optimal performances. In terms of the scan rate, even with 20-decibel of strength, single-mode squeezing still underperforms the vacuum limit which is achieved by photon counting on vacuum input; while the two-mode squeezed vacuum provides large and close-to-optimum advantage over the vacuum limit, thus more exotic quantum resources are no longer required. Our results highlight the necessity of entanglement assistance and microwave photon counting in dark matter search.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Disruption of Dark Matter Minihalos in the Milky Way Environment: Implications for Axion Miniclusters and Early Matter Domination

Many theories of dark matter beyond the weakly interacting massive particles paradigm feature an enhanced matter power spectrum on subparsec scales, leading to the formation of dense dark matter minihalos. Future local observations are promising to search for and constrain such substructures. The survival probability of these dense minihalos in the Milky Way environment is crucial for interpreting local observations. In this work, we investigate two environmental effects: stellar disruption and (smooth) tidal disruption. These two mechanisms are studied using semianalytic models and idealized N-body simulations. For stellar disruption, we perform a series of N-body simulations of isolated minihalo–star encounters to test and calibrate analytic models of stellar encounters before applying the model to the realistic Milky Way disk environment. For tidal disruption, we perform N-body simulations to confirm the effectiveness of the analytic treatment. Finally, we propose a framework to combine the hierarchical assembly and infall of minihalos to the Milky Way with the late-time disruption mechanisms. We make predictions for the mass functions of minihalos in the Milky Way. The mass survival fraction (at M$_{mh}$ ≥ 10$^{−12}$M$_{⊙}$) of dense dark matter minihalos, e.g., for axion miniclusters and minihalos from early matter domination, is ∼60% with the relatively low-mass, compact population surviving. The survival fraction is insensitive to the detailed model parameters. We discuss various implications of the framework and future direct detection prospects.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Dynamics of millicharged dark matter in supernova remnants

Dark matter could have a small electromagnetic charge, provided the charge-to-mass ratio is much less than that of electrons or protons. This candidate, commonly known as millicharged dark matter (mDM), would form a plasma and interact with the interstellar medium and electromagnetic fields within galaxies. In general, understanding the dynamics of mDM requires consideration of collective plasma effects. It has been proposed that mDM can be accelerated in supernova remnants, forming a dark cosmic ray population that would leave distinct experimental signatures. In this work, we study a microphysical model where mDM is shocked by a supernova remnant and isotropized in the frame of the expanding fluid. We find that for | q χ / m χ | ≳ 10 – 13 e / MeV , the isotropization length for electromagnetic plasma instabilities is much shorter than the size of the supernova remnant. This is a necessary, though not sufficient, first step for formation of a Fermi-accelerated mDM component, and determining the size of this component requires further study. Finally, we discuss additional implications of mDM interactions in supernova remnants.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Search for Sterile Neutrino Dark Matter (Final Report)

Decades of dark matter searches with increasingly higher sensitivity have so far not been able to detect the most-favored hypothetical dark matter particles. This has increased interest in sterile neutrinos with masses in the kilo-electronvolt (keV) range as possible dark matter candidates. We have established a and new and world-leading approach to search for keV-scale sterile neutrinos with superconducting radiation detectors. For this, we have implanted radioactive beryllium-7 (Be-7) nuclei into our superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) detectors and measured the recoil energy of the lithium-7 (Li-7) daughter nucleus with high accuracy. If the associated electron neutrino wave function contains some admixture of a keV sterile flavor, the Li-7 recoil energy will be shifted and produce an additional peak in the spectrum whose energy depends on the sterile neutrino mass. While we have not observed any evidence for sterile neutrinos in these precision decay experiments, the experiment has increased the sensitivity of sterile neutrino searches by a factor of ~10 over competing approaches in the mass range from ~10 to ~800 keV. The next generation of STJ detectors that we have developed as part of this project will be able further increase the sensitivity of the sterile neutrino search by at least another two orders of magnitude.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for Axion Dark Matter from 1.1 to 1.3 GHz with ADMX

Axion dark matter can satisfy the conditions needed to account for all of the dark matter and solve the strong 𝐶⁢𝑃 problem. The Axion Dark Matter eXperiment (ADMX) is a direct dark matter search using a haloscope to convert axions to photons in an external magnetic field. Key to this conversion is the use of a microwave resonator that enhances the sensitivity at the frequency of interest. The ADMX experiment boosts its sensitivity using a dilution refrigerator and near quantum-limited amplifier to reduce the noise level in the experimental apparatus. In the most recent run, ADMX searched for axions between 1.10 and 1.31 GHz to extended Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov sensitivity. This Letter reports on the results of that run, as well as unique aspects of this experimental setup.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cosmology of Sub-MeV Dark Matter Freeze-In

Dark matter (DM) could be a relic of freeze-in through a light mediator, where the DM is produced by extremely feeble, IR-dominated processes in the thermal standard model plasma. In the simplest viable models with DM lighter than 1 MeV, the DM has a small effective electric charge and is born with a nonthermal phase-space distribution. This DM candidate would cause observable departures from standard cosmological evolution. In this work, we combine data from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), Lyman-α forest, quasar lensing, stellar streams, and Milky Way satellite abundances to set limits on freeze-in DM masses up to ~20 keV, with the exact constraint depending on whether the DM thermalizes in its own sector. Further, we perform forecasts for the CMB-S4 experiment, the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array, and the Vera Rubin Observatory, finding that freeze-in DM masses up to ~80 keV can be explored.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Dynamical instability of collapsed dark matter halos

A self-interacting dark matter halo can experience gravothermal collapse, resulting in a central core with an ultrahigh density. It can further contract and collapse into a black hole, a mechanism proposed to explain the origin of supermassive black holes. We study dynamical instability of the core in general relativity. Here we use a truncated Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution to model the dark matter distribution and solve the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation. For given model parameters, we obtain a series of equilibrium configurations and examine their dynamical instability based on considerations of total energy, binding energy, fractional binding energy, and adiabatic index. Our numerical results indicate that the core can collapse into a black hole when the fractional binding energy reaches 0.035 with a central gravitational redshift of 0.5. We further show for the instability to occur in the classical regime, the boundary temperature of the core should be at least 10% of the mass of dark matter particles; for a 10 9 M ⊙ seed black hole, the particle mass needs to be larger than a few keV. These results can be used to constrain different collapse models, in particular, those with dissipative dark matter interactions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Absorption of fermionic dark matter by nuclear targets

Absorption of fermionic dark matter leads to a range of distinct and novel signatures at dark matter direct detection and neutrino experiments. We study the possible signals from fermionic absorption by nuclear targets, which we divide into two classes of four Fermi operators: neutral and charged current. In the neutral current signal, dark matter is absorbed by a target nucleus and a neutrino is emitted. This results in a characteristically different nuclear recoil energy spectrum from that of elastic scattering. The charged current channel leads to induced $\beta$ decays in isotopes which are stable in vacuum as well as shifts of the kinematic endpoint of $ \beta$ spectra in unstable isotopes. To confirm the possibility of observing these signals in light of other constraints, we introduce UV completions of example higher dimensional operators that lead to fermionic absorption signals and study their phenomenology. Most prominently, dark matter which exhibits fermionic absorption signals is necessarily unstable leading to stringent bounds from indirect detection searches. Nevertheless, we find a large viable parameter space in which dark matter is sufficiently long lived and detectable in current and future experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Snowmass2021 Cosmic Frontier White Paper: Calibrations and backgrounds for dark matter direct detection

Future dark matter direct detection experiments will reach unprecedented levels of sensitivity. Achieving this sensitivity will require more precise models of signal and background rates in future detectors. Improving the precision of signal and background modeling goes hand-in-hand with novel calibration techniques that can probe rare processes and lower threshold detector response. The goal of this white paper is to outline community needs to meet the background and calibration requirements of next-generation dark matter direct detection experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nucleus capture by macroscopic dark matter

For a class of macroscopic dark matter with a large interaction strength with Standard Model particles, a nucleus could be captured by the dense, heavy dark matter as it traverses ordinary material. The radiated photon carries most of the binding energy and is a characteristic signature for dark matter detection. We develop analytic formulas and present numerical results for this radiative capture process in the low energy, non-dipole limit. Large-volume neutrino detectors like NOνA, JUNO, DUNE and Super(Hyper)-K may detect multi-hit or single-hit radiative capture events and can search for dark matter up to one gram in mass.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗