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Christopher McCabe

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher McCabe.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2018

A Dark Matter Hurricane: Measuring the S1 Stream with Dark Matter Detectors

The recently discovered S1 stream passes through the Solar neighbourhood on a low inclination, counter-rotating orbit. The progenitor of S1 is a dwarf galaxy with a total mass comparable to the present-day Fornax dwarf spheroidal, so the stream is expected to have a significant DM component. We compute the effects of the S1 stream on WIMP and axion detectors as a function of the density of its unmeasured dark component. In WIMP detectors the S1 stream supplies more high energy nuclear recoils so will marginally improve DM detection prospects. We find that even if S1 comprises less than 10% of the local density, multi-ton xenon WIMP detectors can distinguish the S1 stream from the bulk halo in the relatively narrow mass range between 5 and 25 GeV. In directional WIMP detectors such as CYGNUS, S1 increases DM detection prospects more substantially since it enhances the anisotropy of the WIMP signal. Finally, we show that axion haloscopes possess by far the greatest potential sensitivity to the S1 stream. Once the axion mass has been discovered, the distinctive velocity distribution of S1 can easily be extracted from the axion power spectrum.

astro-ph.CO↗
arXiv2018

Directly detecting sub-GeV dark matter with electrons from nuclear scattering

Dark matter (DM) particles with mass in the sub-GeV range are an attractive alternative to heavier weakly-interacting massive particles, but direct detection of such light particles is challenging. If however DM-nucleus scattering leads to ionisation of the recoiling atom, the resulting electron may be detected even if the nuclear recoil is unobservable. We demonstrate that including this effect significantly enhances direct detection sensitivity to sub-GeV DM. Existing experiments set world-leading limits, and future experiments may probe the cross sections relevant for thermal freeze-out.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2018

Identifying WIMP dark matter from particle and astroparticle data

One of the most promising strategies to identify the nature of dark matter consists in the search for new particles at accelerators and with so-called direct detection experiments. Working within the framework of simplified models, and making use of machine learning tools to speed up statistical inference, we address the question of what we can learn about dark matter from a detection at the LHC and a forthcoming direct detection experiment. We show that with a combination of accelerator and direct detection data, it is possible to identify newly discovered particles as dark matter, by reconstructing their relic density assuming they are weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) thermally produced in the early Universe, and demonstrating that it is consistent with the measured dark matter abundance. An inconsistency between these two quantities would instead point either towards additional physics in the dark sector, or towards a non-standard cosmology, with a thermal history substantially different from that of the standard cosmological model.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2017

New constraints and discovery potential of sub-GeV dark matter with xenon detectors

Existing xenon dark matter (DM) direct detection experiments can probe the DM-nucleon interaction of DM with a sub-GeV mass through a search for photon emission from the recoiling xenon atom. We show that LUX's constraints on sub-GeV DM, which utilise the scintillation (S1) and ionisation (S2) signals, are approximately three orders of magnitude more stringent than previous xenon constraints in this mass range, derived from the XENON10 and XENON100 S2-only searches. The new LUX constraints provide the most stringent direct detection constraints for DM particles with a mass below 0.5 GeV. In addition, the photon emission signal in LUX and its successor LZ maintain the discrimination between background and signal events so that an unambiguous discovery of sub-GeV DM is possible. We show that LZ has the potential to reconstruct the DM mass with 20% accuracy for particles lighter than 0.5 GeV.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2017

Towards the next generation of simplified Dark Matter models

This White Paper is an input to the ongoing discussion about the extension and refinement of simplified Dark Matter (DM) models. Based on two concrete examples, we show how existing simplified DM models (SDMM) can be extended to provide a more accurate and comprehensive framework to interpret and characterise collider searches. In the first example we extend the canonical SDMM with a scalar mediator to include mixing with the Higgs boson. We show that this approach not only provides a better description of the underlying kinematic properties that a complete model would possess, but also offers the option of using this more realistic class of scalar mixing models to compare and combine consistently searches based on different experimental signatures. The second example outlines how a new physics signal observed in a visible channel can be connected to DM by extending a simplified model including effective couplings. This discovery scenario uses the recently observed excess in the high-mass diphoton searches of ATLAS and CMS for a case study to show that such a pragmatic approach can aid the experimental search programme to verify/falsify a potential signal and to study its underlying nature. In the next part of the White Paper we outline other interesting options for SDMM that could be studied in more detail in the future. Finally, we discuss important aspects of supersymmetric models for DM and how these could help to develop of more complete SDMM.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2016

Supernova neutrino physics with xenon dark matter detectors: A timely perspective

Dark matter detectors that utilize liquid xenon have now achieved tonne-scale targets, giving them sensitivity to all flavours of supernova neutrinos via coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering. Considering for the first time a realistic detector model, we simulate the expected supernova neutrino signal for different progenitor masses and nuclear equations of state in existing and upcoming dual-phase liquid xenon experiments. We show that the proportional scintillation signal (S2) of a dual-phase detector allows for a clear observation of the neutrino signal and guarantees a particularly low energy threshold, while the backgrounds are rendered negligible during the supernova burst. XENON1T (XENONnT and LZ; DARWIN) experiments will be sensitive to a supernova burst up to 25 (35; 65) kpc from Earth at a significance of more than 5 sigma, observing approximately 35 (123; 704) events from a 27 Msun supernova progenitor at 10 kpc. Moreover, it will be possible to measure the average neutrino energy of all flavours, to constrain the total explosion energy, and to reconstruct the supernova neutrino light curve. Our results suggest that a large xenon detector such as DARWIN will be competitive with dedicated neutrino telescopes, while providing complementary information that is not otherwise accessible.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2016

Ruling out the light WIMP explanation of the galactic 511 keV line

Over the past few decades, an anomalous 511 keV gamma-ray line has been observed from the centre of the Milky Way. Dark matter (DM) in the form of light weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) annihilating into electron-positron pairs has been one of the leading hypotheses of the observed emission. Given the small required cross section, a further coupling to lighter particles is required to produce the correct relic density. Here, we derive constraints from the Planck satellite on light WIMPs that were in equilibrium with either the neutrino or electron sector in the early universe. For the neutrino sector, we obtain a lower bound on the WIMP mass of 4 MeV for a real scalar and 10 MeV for a Dirac fermion DM particle, at 95% CL. For the electron sector, we find even stronger bounds of 7 and 11 MeV, respectively. Using these results, we show that, in the absence of additional ingredients such as dark radiation, the light thermally produced WIMP explanation of the 511 keV excess is strongly disfavoured by the latest cosmological data. This suggests an unknown astrophysical or more exotic DM source of the signal.

astro-ph.CO↗
arXiv2016

Prospects for dark matter detection with inelastic transitions of xenon

Dark matter can scatter and excite a nucleus to a low-lying excitation in a direct detection experiment. This signature is distinct from the canonical elastic scattering signal because the inelastic signal also contains the energy deposited from the subsequent prompt de-excitation of the nucleus. A measurement of the elastic and inelastic signal will allow a single experiment to distinguish between a spin-independent and spin-dependent interaction. For the first time, we characterise the inelastic signal for two-phase xenon detectors in which dark matter inelastically scatters off the Xe-129 or Xe-131 isotope. We do this by implementing a realistic simulation of a typical tonne-scale two-phase xenon detector and by carefully estimating the relevant background signals. With our detector simulation, we explore whether the inelastic signal from the axial-vector interaction is detectable with upcoming tonne-scale detectors. We find that two-phase detectors allow for some discrimination between signal and background so that it is possible to detect dark matter that inelastically scatters off either the Xe-129 or Xe-131 isotope for dark matter particles that are heavier than approximately 100 GeV. If, after two years of data, the XENON1T search for elastic scattering nuclei finds no evidence for dark matter, the possibility of ever detecting an inelastic signal from the axial-vector interaction will be almost entirely excluded.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2016

Simplified Models for Dark Matter Searches at the LHC

This document outlines a set of simplified models for dark matter and its interactions with Standard Model particles. It is intended to summarize the main characteristics that these simplified models have when applied to dark matter searches at the LHC, and to provide a number of useful expressions for reference. The list of models includes both s-channel and t-channel scenarios. For s-channel, spin-0 and spin-1 mediation is discussed, and also realizations where the Higgs particle provides a portal between the dark and visible sectors. The guiding principles underpinning the proposed simplified models are spelled out, and some suggestions for implementation are presented.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2016

Higgs vacuum stability from the dark matter portal

We consider classically scale-invariant extensions of the Standard Model (CSI ESM) which stabilise the Higgs potential and have good dark matter candidates. In this framework all mass scales, including electroweak and dark matter masses, are generated dynamically and have a common origin. We consider Abelian and non-Abelian hidden sectors portally coupled to the SM with and without a real singlet scalar. We perform a careful analysis of RG running to determine regions in the parameter space where the SM Higgs vacuum is stabilised. After combining this with the LHC Higgs constraints, in models without a singlet, none of the regained parameter space in Abelian ESMs, and only a small section in the non-Abelian ESM survives. However, in all singlet-extended models we find that the Higgs vacuum can be stabilised in all of the parameter space consistent with the LHC constraints. These models naturally contain two dark matter candidates: the real singlet and the dark gauge boson in non-Abelian models. We determine the viable range of parameters in the CSI ESM framework by computing the relic abundance, imposing direct detection constraints and combining with the LHC Higgs constraints. In addition to being instrumental in Higgs stabilisation, we find that the singlet component is required to explain the observed dark matter density.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2015

Constraining Dark Matter Interactions with Pseudoscalar and Scalar Mediators Using Collider Searches for Multi-jets plus Missing Transverse Energy

The mono-jet search, looking for events involving missing transverse energy (MET) plus one or two jets, is the most prominent collider dark matter search. We show that multi-jet searches, which look for MET plus two or more jets, are significantly more sensitive than the mono-jet search for pseudoscalar- and scalar-mediated interactions. We demonstrate this in the context of a simplified model with a pseudoscalar interaction that explains the excess in GeV energy gamma rays observed by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. We show that multi-jet searches already constrain a pseudoscalar interpretation of the excess in much of the parameter space where the mass of the mediator (mA) is more than twice the dark matter mass (mDM). With the forthcoming run of the LHC at higher energies, the remaining regions of the parameter space where mA>2mDM will be fully explored. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of complementing the mono-jet final state with multi-jet final states to maximise the sensitivity of the search for the production of dark matter at colliders.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2015

A taste of dark matter: Flavour constraints on pseudoscalar mediators

Dark matter interacting via the exchange of a light pseudoscalar can induce observable signals in indirect detection experiments and experience large self-interactions while evading the strong bounds from direct dark matter searches. The pseudoscalar mediator will however induce flavour-changing interactions in the Standard Model, providing a promising alternative way to test these models. We investigate in detail the constraints arising from rare meson decays and fixed target experiments for different coupling structures between the pseudoscalar and Standard Model fermions. The resulting bounds are highly complementary to the information inferred from the dark matter relic density and the constraints from primordial nucleosynthesis. We discuss the implications of our findings for the dark matter self-interaction cross section and the prospects of probing dark matter coupled to a light pseudoscalar with direct or indirect detection experiments. In particular, we find that a pseudoscalar mediator can only explain the Galactic Centre excess if its mass is above that of the B mesons, and that it is impossible to obtain a sufficiently large direct detection cross section to account for the DAMA modulation

hep-ph↗
arXiv2015

Dark Matter Benchmark Models for Early LHC Run-2 Searches: Report of the ATLAS/CMS Dark Matter Forum

This document is the final report of the ATLAS-CMS Dark Matter Forum, a forum organized by the ATLAS and CMS collaborations with the participation of experts on theories of Dark Matter, to select a minimal basis set of dark matter simplified models that should support the design of the early LHC Run-2 searches. A prioritized, compact set of benchmark models is proposed, accompanied by studies of the parameter space of these models and a repository of generator implementations. This report also addresses how to apply the Effective Field Theory formalism for collider searches and present the results of such interpretations.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2015

A Tale of Tails: Dark Matter Interpretations of the Fermi GeV Excess in Light of Background Model Systematics

Several groups have identified an extended excess of gamma rays over the modeled foreground and background emissions towards the Galactic center (GC) based on observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope. This excess emission is compatible in morphology and spectrum with a telltale sign from dark matter (DM) annihilation. Here, we present a critical reassessment of DM interpretations of the GC signal in light of the foreground and background uncertainties that some of us recently outlaid in Calore et al. 2014. We find that a much larger number of DM models fits the gamma-ray data than previously noted. In particular: (1) In the case of DM annihilation into $\bar{b}b$, we find that even large DM masses up to $m_χ\simeq$ 74 GeV are allowed with a $p$-value $> 0.05$. (2) Surprisingly, annihilation into non-relativistic hh gives a good fit to the data. (3) The inverse Compton emission from $μ^+μ^-$ with $m_χ\sim$ 60-70 GeV can also account for the excess at higher latitudes, $|b|>2^\circ$, both in its spectrum and morphology. We also present novel constraints on a large number of mixed annihilation channels, including cascade annihilation involving hidden sector mediators. Finally, we show that the current limits from dwarf spheroidal observations are not in tension with a DM interpretation when uncertainties on the DM halo profile are accounted for.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2015

Characterising dark matter searches at colliders and direct detection experiments: Vector mediators

We introduce a Minimal Simplified Dark Matter (MSDM) framework to quantitatively characterise dark matter (DM) searches at the LHC. We study two MSDM models where the DM is a Dirac fermion which interacts with a vector and axial-vector mediator. The models are characterised by four parameters: the DM and mediator masses, and the mediator couplings to DM and quarks. The MSDM models accurately capture the full event kinematics, and the dependence on all masses and couplings can be systematically studied. The interpretation of mono-jet searches in this framework can be used to establish an equal-footing comparison with direct detection experiments. For theories with a vector mediator, LHC mono-jet searches possess better sensitivity than direct detection searches for light DM masses (less than 5 GeV). For axial-vector mediators, LHC and direct detection searches generally probe orthogonal directions in the parameter space. We explore the projected limits of these searches from the ultimate reach of the LHC and multi-ton xenon direct detection experiments, and find that the complementarity of the searches remains. Finally, we provide a comparison of limits in the MSDM and effective field theory (EFT) frameworks to highlight the deficiencies of the EFT framework, particularly when exploring the complementarity of mono-jet and direct detection searches.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2014

Quantifying the evidence for Dark Matter in CoGeNT data

We perform an independent analysis of data from the CoGeNT direct detection experiment to quantify the evidence for dark matter recoils. We critically re-examine the assumptions that enter the analysis, focusing specifically on the separation of bulk and surface events, the latter of which constitute a large background. This separation is performed using the event rise-time, with the surface events being slower on average. We fit the rise-time distributions for the bulk and surface events with a log-normal and Pareto distribution (which gives a better fit to the tail in the bulk population at high rise-times) and account for the energy-dependence of the bulk fraction using a cubic spline. Using Bayesian and frequentist techniques and additionally investigating the effect of varying the rise-time cut, the bulk background spectrum and bin-sizes, we conclude that the CoGeNT data show a preference for light dark matter recoils at less than 1 sigma.

hep-ph↗