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arXiv · 2507.10754

Search for Accelerator-Produced Sub-GeV Dark Matter with the NOvA Near Detector

S. Abubakar·M. Acero·B. Acharya·P. Adamson·N. Anfimov·A. Antoshkin·E. Arrieta-Diaz·L. Asquith·A. Aurisano·A. Back·N. Balashov·P. Baldi·B. A. Bambah·E. F. Bannister·A. Barros·A. Bat·T. Bezerra·V. Bhatnagar·B. Bhuyan·J. Bian·A. C. Booth·R. Bowles·B. Brahma·C. Bromberg·N. Buchanan·A. Butkevich·T. J. Carroll·E. Catano-Mur·J. P. Cesar·R. Chirco·S. Choate·B. C. Choudhary·O. T. K. Chow·A. Christensen·M. F. Cicala·T. E. Coan·T. Contreras·A. Cooleybeck·D. Coveyou·L. Cremonesi·G. S. Davies·P. F. Derwent·Z. Djurcic·K. Dobbs·D. Duenas Tonguino·E. C. Dukes·R. Ehrlich·E. Ewart·P. Filip·M. J. Frank·H. R. Gallagher·A. Giri·R. A. Gomes·M. C. Goodman·R. Group·A. Habig·F. Hakl·J. Hartnell·R. Hatcher·J. M. Hays·M. He·K. Heller·V Hewes·A. Himmel·T. Horoho·X. Huang·A. Ivanova·I. Kakorin·A. Kalitkina·D. M. Kaplan·A. Khanam·B. Kirezli·J. Kleykamp·O. Klimov·L. W. Koerner·L. Kolupaeva·R. Kralik·A. Kumar·C. D. Kuruppu·V. Kus·T. Lackey·K. Lang·J. Lesmeister·A. Lister·J. A. Lock·S. Magill·W. A. Mann·M. T. Manoharan·M. Manrique Plata·M. L. Marshak·M. Martinez-Casales·V. Matveev·A. Medhi·B. Mehta·M. D. Messier·H. Meyer·T. Miao·W. H. Miller·S. R. Mishra·R. Mohanta
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Abstract

The NuMI facility at Fermilab produces a high-intensity beam of muon neutrinos and antineutrinos, designed to study neutrino oscillations. This beam may also be a source of dark matter particles produced through a light mediator. We search for dark matter particles with masses between 1 and 200 MeV that interact with Standard Model particles via a vector portal, producing forward-scattered single-electron events in the NOvA near detector. We set limits on the dark-visible coupling based on an exposure of 2.55x10^21 protons of 120 GeV energy on the NuMI target. For the dark matter mass range 10-20 MeV, this analysis sets the tightest constraints on the coupling to date.

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S. Abubakar, M. Acero, B. Acharya, P. Adamson, N. Anfimov, A. Antoshkin, E. Arrieta-Diaz, L. Asquith, A. Aurisano, A. Back, N. Balashov, P. Baldi, B. A. Bambah, E. F. Bannister, A. Barros, A. Bat, T. Bezerra, V. Bhatnagar, B. Bhuyan, J. Bian, A. C. Booth, R. Bowles, B. Brahma, C. Bromberg, N. Buchanan, A. Butkevich, T. J. Carroll, E. Catano-Mur, J. P. Cesar, R. Chirco, S. Choate, B. C. Choudhary, O. T. K. Chow, A. Christensen, M. F. Cicala, T. E. Coan, T. Contreras, A. Cooleybeck, D. Coveyou, L. Cremonesi, G. S. Davies, P. F. Derwent, Z. Djurcic, K. Dobbs, D. Duenas Tonguino, E. C. Dukes, R. Ehrlich, E. Ewart, P. Filip, M. J. Frank, H. R. Gallagher, A. Giri, R. A. Gomes, M. C. Goodman, R. Group, A. Habig, F. Hakl, J. Hartnell, R. Hatcher, J. M. Hays, M. He, K. Heller, V Hewes, A. Himmel, T. Horoho, X. Huang, A. Ivanova, I. Kakorin, A. Kalitkina, D. M. Kaplan, A. Khanam, B. Kirezli, J. Kleykamp, O. Klimov, L. W. Koerner, L. Kolupaeva, R. Kralik, A. Kumar, C. D. Kuruppu, V. Kus, T. Lackey, K. Lang, J. Lesmeister, A. Lister, J. A. Lock, S. Magill, W. A. Mann, M. T. Manoharan, M. Manrique Plata, M. L. Marshak, M. Martinez-Casales, V. Matveev, A. Medhi, B. Mehta, M. D. Messier, H. Meyer, T. Miao, W. H. Miller, S. R. Mishra, R. Mohanta. 2025-07-14. Search for Accelerator-Produced Sub-GeV Dark Matter with the NOvA Near Detector. https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.10754

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