No Arabic abstract
In this paper, as the third part of the third step of our study on developing data analysis procedures for using 3-dimensional information offered by directional direct Dark Matter detection experiments in the future, we introduce a 3-dimensional effective velocity distribution of halo Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), which, instead of the theoretically prediction of the entire Galactic Dark Matter particles, describes the actual velocity distribution of WIMPs scattering off (specified) target nuclei in an underground detector. Its target and WIMP-mass dependences as well as (annual modulations of) its anisotropy in the Equatorial/laboratory and even the Galactic coordinate systems will be demonstrated and discussed in detail. For readers reference, all simulation plots presented in this paper (and more) can be found in animation on our online (interactive) demonstration webpage (http://www.tir.tw/phys/hep/dm/amidas-2d/).
In this paper, as a preparation of developing data analysis procedures for using 3-dimensional information offered by directional Dark Matter (DM) detection experiments, we study the patterns of the angular distribution of the Monte Carlo-generated 3-D velocity of halo Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) as well as apply the Bayesian fitting technique to reconstruct the radial distribution of the 3-D WIMP velocity. Besides the diurnal modulation of the angular WIMP velocity distribution, the so-called directionality of DM signals proposed in literature, we will also demonstrate possible annual modulations of both of the angular and the radial distributions of the 3-D WIMP velocity. Our Bayesian reconstruction results of (the annual modulation of) the radial WIMP velocity distribution will also be discussed in detail. For readers reference, the angular distribution patterns of the 3-D WIMP velocity in the laboratory (location)-dependent reference frames of several underground laboratories are given in the Appendix.
In this paper, we extended our earlier work on the reconstruction of the (time-averaged) one-dimensional velocity distribution of Galactic Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and introduce the Bayesian fitting procedure to the theoretically predicted velocity distribution functions. In this reconstruction process, the (rough) velocity distribution reconstructed by using raw data from direct Dark Matter detection experiments directly, i.e. measured recoil energies, with one or more different target materials, has been used as reconstructed-input information. By assuming a fitting velocity distribution function and scanning the parameter space based on the Bayesian analysis, the astronomical characteristic parameters, e.g. the Solar and Earths Galactic velocities, will be pinned down as the output results. Our Monte-Carlo simulations show that this Bayesian scanning procedure could reconstruct the true (input) WIMP velocity distribution function pretty precisely with negligible systematic deviations of the reconstructed characteristic Solar and Earths velocities and 1 sigma statistical uncertainties of <~ 20 km/s. Moreover, for the use of an improper fitting velocity distribution function, our reconstruction process could still offer useful information about the shape of the velocity distribution. In addition, by comparing these estimates to theoretical predictions, one could distinguish different (basic) functional forms of the theoretically predicted one-dimensional WIMP velocity distribution function with 2 sigma to 4 sigma confidence levels.
The event rates for WIMP-nucleus and neutrino-nucleus scattering processes, expected to be detected in ton-scale rare-event detectors, are investigated. We focus on nuclear isotopes that correspond to the target nuclei of current and future experiments looking for WIMP- and neutrino-nucleus events. The nuclear structure calculations, performed in the context of the deformed shell model, are based on Hartree-Fock intrinsic states with angular momentum projection and band mixing for both the elastic and the inelastic channels. Our predictions in the high-recoil-energy tail show that detectable distortions of the measured/expected signal may be interpreted through the inclusion of the non-negligible incoherent channels
Direct dark matter detection focuses on elastic scattering of dark matter particles off nuclei. In this study, we explore inelastic scattering where the nucleus is excited to a low-lying state of 10-100 keV, with subsequent prompt de-excitation. We calculate the inelastic structure factors for the odd-mass xenon isotopes based on state-of-the-art large-scale shell-model calculations with chiral effective field theory WIMP-nucleon currents. For these cases, we find that the inelastic channel is comparable to or can dominate the elastic channel for momentum transfers around 150 MeV. We calculate the inelastic recoil spectra in the standard halo model, compare these to the elastic case, and discuss the expected signatures in a xenon detector, along with implications for existing and future experiments. The combined information from elastic and inelastic scattering will allow to determine the dominant interaction channel within one experiment. In addition, the two channels probe different regions of the dark matter velocity distribution and can provide insight into the dark halo structure. The allowed recoil energy domain and the recoil energy at which the integrated inelastic rates start to dominate the elastic channel depend on the mass of the dark matter particle, thus providing a potential handle to constrain its mass.
We examine the consequences of the effective field theory (EFT) of dark matter-nucleon scattering for current and proposed direct detection experiments. Exclusion limits on EFT coupling constants computed using the optimum interval method are presented for SuperCDMS Soudan, CDMS II, and LUX, and the necessity of combining results from multiple experiments in order to determine dark matter parameters is discussed. We demonstrate that spectral differences between the standard dark matter model and a general EFT interaction can produce a bias when calculating exclusion limits and when developing signal models for likelihood and machine learning techniques. We also discuss the implications of the EFT for the next-generation (G2) direct detection experiments and point out regions of complementarity in the EFT parameter space.