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arXiv · 1611.03066

First Direct-Detection Constraints on eV-Scale Hidden-Photon Dark Matter with DAMIC at SNOLAB

A. Aguilar-Arevalo·D. Amidei·X. Bertou·M. Butner·G. Cancelo·A. Castañeda Vázquez·B. A. Cervantes Vergara·A. E. Chavarria·C. R. Chavez·J. R. T. de Mello Neto·J. C. D'Olivo·J. Estrada·G. Fernandez Moroni·R. Gaïor·Y. Guardincerri·K. P. Hernández Torres·F. Izraelevitch·A. Kavner·B. Kilminster·I. Lawson·A. Letessier-Selvon·J. Liao·A. Matalon·V. B. B. Mello·J. Molina·P. Privitera·K. Ramanathan·Y. Sarkis·T. Schwarz·M. Settimo·M. Sofo Haro·R. Thomas·J. Tiffenberg·E. Tiouchichine·D. Torres Machado·F. Trillaud·X. You·J. Zhou
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Abstract

We present direct detection constraints on the absorption of hidden-photon dark matter with particle masses in the range 1.2-30 eV$c^{-2}$ with the DAMIC experiment at SNOLAB. Under the assumption that the local dark matter is entirely constituted of hidden photons, the sensitivity to the kinetic mixing parameter $\kappa$ is competitive with constraints from solar emission, reaching a minimum value of 2.2$\times$$10^{-14}$ at 17 eV$c^{-2}$. These results are the most stringent direct detection constraints on hidden-photon dark matter in the galactic halo with masses 3-12 eV$c^{-2}$ and the first demonstration of direct experimental sensitivity to ionization signals $<$12 eV from dark matter interactions.

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A. Aguilar-Arevalo, D. Amidei, X. Bertou, M. Butner, G. Cancelo, A. Castañeda Vázquez, B. A. Cervantes Vergara, A. E. Chavarria, C. R. Chavez, J. R. T. de Mello Neto, J. C. D'Olivo, J. Estrada, G. Fernandez Moroni, R. Gaïor, Y. Guardincerri, K. P. Hernández Torres, F. Izraelevitch, A. Kavner, B. Kilminster, I. Lawson, A. Letessier-Selvon, J. Liao, A. Matalon, V. B. B. Mello, J. Molina, P. Privitera, K. Ramanathan, Y. Sarkis, T. Schwarz, M. Settimo, M. Sofo Haro, R. Thomas, J. Tiffenberg, E. Tiouchichine, D. Torres Machado, F. Trillaud, X. You, J. Zhou. 2016-11-09. First Direct-Detection Constraints on eV-Scale Hidden-Photon Dark Matter with DAMIC at SNOLAB. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.118.141803

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