A novel approach to derive halo-independent limits on dark matter properties

Abstract

We propose a method that allows to place an upper limit on the dark matter elastic scattering cross section with nucleons which is independent of the velocity distribution. Our approach combines null results from direct detection experiments with indirect searches at neutrino telescopes, and goes beyond previous attempts to remove astrophysical uncertainties in that it directly constrains the particle physics properties of the dark matter. The resulting halo-independent upper limits on the scattering cross section of dark matter are remarkably strong and reach $σ_{\text{SI}}^{p} \lesssim 10^{-43} \, (10^{-42})~\text{cm}^2$ and $σ_{\text{SD}}^{p} \lesssim 10^{-37} \, (3\times 10^{-37 })~\text{cm}^2$, for dark matter particles of $m_{\text{DM}}\sim 1~\text{TeV}$ annihilating into $W^+W^-$ ($b\bar b$), assuming $ρ_\text{loc}=0.3\text{ GeV}/\text{cm}^3$.