Characterisation of Dark Matter in Direct Detection Experiments: Singlino Versus Higgsino

Abstract

We show how the material used in direct detection experiments of Dark Matter (DM), in the presence of a signal of it, can afford one with the possibility of extracting the nature of the underlying candidate. We do so for the case of a $U(1)'$ Supersymmetric Standard Model (USSM) of E$_6$ origin, by exploiting benchmark points over its parameter space that yield either a Singlino- or Higgsino-like neutralino as DM candidate, the latter being defined in presence of up-to-date constraints, from low to high energy and from collider to non-collider experiments. However, as our method is general, we also introduce a model-independent description of our analysis, for the purpose of aiding similar studies in other Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) scenarios. This has been made possible by adapting a rather simple $\chi^2$ analysis normally used for signal extraction in direct detection experiments and the procedure has been applied to Xenon, Germanium and Silicon detectors, those showing maximal and complementary sensitivity to gauge- and Higgs-portal induced interactions of DM with their nuclei.