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arXiv · 2003.11141

An Effective Field Theory Analysis of the First LUX Dark Matter Search

D. S. Akerib·S. Alsum·H. M. Araújo·X. Bai·J. Balajthy·A. Baxter·E. P. Bernard·A. Bernstein·T. P. Biesiadzinski·E. M. Boulton·B. Boxer·P. Brás·S. Burdin·D. Byram·M. C. Carmona-Benitez·C. Chan·J. E. Cutter·L. de Viveiros·E. Druszkiewicz·A. Fan·S. Fiorucci·R. J. Gaitskell·C. Ghag·M. G. D. Gilchriese·C. Gwilliam·C. R. Hall·S. J. Haselschwardt·S. A. Hertel·D. P. Hogan·M. Horn·D. Q. Huang·C. M. Ignarra·R. G. Jacobsen·O. Jahangir·W. Ji·K. Kamdin·K. Kazkaz·D. Khaitan·E. V. Korolkova·S. Kravitz·V. A. Kudryavtsev·N. A. Larsen·E. Leason·B. G. Lenardo·K. T. Lesko·J. Liao·J. Lin·A. Lindote·M. I. Lopes·A. Manalaysay·R. L. Mannino·N. Marangou·D. N. McKinsey·D. -M. Mei·M. Moongweluwan·J. A. Morad·A. St. J. Murphy·A. Naylor·C. Nehrkorn·H. N. Nelson·F. Neves·A. Nilima·K. C. Oliver-Mallory·K. J. Palladino·E. K. Pease·Q. Riffard·G. R. C. Rischbieter·C. Rhyne·P. Rossiter·S. Shaw·T. A. Shutt·C. Silva·M. Solmaz·V. N. Solovov·P. Sorensen·T. J. Sumner·M. Szydagis·D. J. Taylor·R. Taylor·W. C. Taylor·B. P. Tennyson·P. A. Terman·D. R. Tiedt·W. H. To·L. Tvrznikova·U. Utku·S. Uvarov·A. Vacheret·V. Velan·R. C. Webb·J. T. White·T. J. Whitis·M. S. Witherell·F. L. H. Wolfs·D. Woodward·J. Xu·C. Zhang
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Abstract

The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) dark matter search was a 250-kg active mass dual-phase time projection chamber that operated by detecting light and ionization signals from particles incident on a xenon target. In December 2015, LUX reported a minimum 90% upper C.L. of 6e-46 cm^2 on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon elastic scattering cross section based on a 1.4e4 kg*day exposure in its first science run. Tension between experiments and the absence of a definitive positive detection suggest it would be prudent to search for WIMPs outside the standard spin-independent/spin-dependent paradigm. Recent theoretical work has identified a complete basis of 14 independent effective field theory (EFT) operators to describe WIMP-nucleon interactions. In addition to spin-independent and spin-dependent nuclear responses, these operators can produce novel responses such as angular-momentum-dependent and spin-orbit couplings. Here we report on a search for all 14 of these EFT couplings with data from LUX's first science run. Limits are placed on each coupling as a function of WIMP mass.

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D. S. Akerib, S. Alsum, H. M. Araújo, X. Bai, J. Balajthy, A. Baxter, E. P. Bernard, A. Bernstein, T. P. Biesiadzinski, E. M. Boulton, B. Boxer, P. Brás, S. Burdin, D. Byram, M. C. Carmona-Benitez, C. Chan, J. E. Cutter, L. de Viveiros, E. Druszkiewicz, A. Fan, S. Fiorucci, R. J. Gaitskell, C. Ghag, M. G. D. Gilchriese, C. Gwilliam, C. R. Hall, S. J. Haselschwardt, S. A. Hertel, D. P. Hogan, M. Horn, D. Q. Huang, C. M. Ignarra, R. G. Jacobsen, O. Jahangir, W. Ji, K. Kamdin, K. Kazkaz, D. Khaitan, E. V. Korolkova, S. Kravitz, V. A. Kudryavtsev, N. A. Larsen, E. Leason, B. G. Lenardo, K. T. Lesko, J. Liao, J. Lin, A. Lindote, M. I. Lopes, A. Manalaysay, R. L. Mannino, N. Marangou, D. N. McKinsey, D. -M. Mei, M. Moongweluwan, J. A. Morad, A. St. J. Murphy, A. Naylor, C. Nehrkorn, H. N. Nelson, F. Neves, A. Nilima, K. C. Oliver-Mallory, K. J. Palladino, E. K. Pease, Q. Riffard, G. R. C. Rischbieter, C. Rhyne, P. Rossiter, S. Shaw, T. A. Shutt, C. Silva, M. Solmaz, V. N. Solovov, P. Sorensen, T. J. Sumner, M. Szydagis, D. J. Taylor, R. Taylor, W. C. Taylor, B. P. Tennyson, P. A. Terman, D. R. Tiedt, W. H. To, L. Tvrznikova, U. Utku, S. Uvarov, A. Vacheret, V. Velan, R. C. Webb, J. T. White, T. J. Whitis, M. S. Witherell, F. L. H. Wolfs, D. Woodward, J. Xu, C. Zhang. 2020-03-24. An Effective Field Theory Analysis of the First LUX Dark Matter Search. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.103.122005

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