arXiv subjects

Liangliang Su

Publications and source records attributed to Liangliang Su.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Inelastic Dark Matter Signature at High Recoil Energy in LUX-ZEPLIN and CRESST

The LUX--ZEPLIN Collaboration recently reported one event at $E_{\mathrm{nr}}=248\pm23~\mathrm{keV}$ with an exposure of $2.84~\mathrm{tonne\cdot yr}$. In this Letter, we interpret this feature using endothermic dark matter (DM). We consider both direct scattering of the surviving ground-state halo component and the contribution of excited states produced by terrestrial upscattering. Our calculations show that explaining the high-energy event requires $m_\chi\gtrsim500~\mathrm{GeV}$ and a mass splitting of $\mathcal{O}(300)~\mathrm{keV}$, for which the production of excited states inside the Earth is kinematically forbidden. For $\bar{\sigma}_n=10^{-37}~\mathrm{cm^2}$, an illustrative two-bin likelihood analysis yields a representative best-fit point at $(m_\chi,\delta)\simeq(1.105~\mathrm{TeV},350~\mathrm{keV})$. The preferred parameter region may be tested by the planned CRESST upgrade.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

Inelastic Scattering Effects on Attenuation of Boosted Dark Matter

Earth attenuation is crucial for interpreting direct-detection constraints on boosted dark matter (DM), since scatterings with terrestrial nuclei can significantly modify the flux and energy spectrum reaching underground detectors. At boosted energies, inelastic nuclear channels beyond ordinary elastic scattering can become relevant, including quasi-elastic scattering, deep-inelastic scattering, and resonant scattering. In this work, we incorporate the resonant scattering of boosted dark matter (DM) off nuclei into the Earth-attenuation framework, in combination with the elastic, quasi-elastic, and deep-inelastic channels. We find that, in the heavy-mediator regime, resonant scattering can give a non-negligible contribution to the attenuation of boosted DM. Using the latest PandaX-4T data, we derive new constraints on the spin-independent boosted DM-nucleon cross section $\bar{\sigma}_n$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

Migdal Ionization as a Probe of Light Dark Matter from Nuclear Transition

Nuclear reactors serve as a key artificial source of light dark matter. Direct detection of reactor-produced dark matter faces substantial obstacles, since quenching effects suppress conventional elastic scattering signals below detector thresholds. We present a new search strategy utilizing the Migdal effect in germanium detectors to probe light dark matter produced via nuclear de-excitation from reactors. Using ON-OFF residual spectra from the TEXONO experiment, we set a new stringent limit on the dark matter and nucleus interaction over the mass range $0.01\,\text{MeV}\le m_\chi \lesssim 2.6\,\text{MeV}$, which provides a complementary bound to existing cosmological and astrophysical limits.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

Probing Sub-GeV Dark Matter via Migdal Effect-Induced Electron Excitations

The electron ionization predicted by the Migdal effect in dark matter-nucleus scattering enhances experimental sensitivity to sub-GeV dark matter. In this work, we demonstrate that lower-energy electron excitations provide a novel and promising pathway, enabling the detection of even lighter dark matter particles previously considered inaccessible for direct searches. Direct detection experiments employing a superfluid $^4$He target can exploit this channel by observing electronic excitations via UV-photon emission. We calculate the resulting event rates and find that electron excitations induced by the Migdal effect make it possible to probe dark matter-nucleus scattering for dark matter masses as small as a few MeV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

Constraints on Axion-Like Particles with the Silicon Detector at a Nuclear Reactor

Axion and axion-like particles (ALPs), predicted in various extensions of the Standard Model, can be abundantly produced in nuclear reactors via the Primakoff process. In this work, we explore the detection of ALPs in silicon detectors through plasmon excitations. Owing to their relativistic nature, reactor-produced ALPs can efficiently excite plasmon resonances, while the accompanying energetic photon typically escapes from the thin detector without depositing an appreciable amount of energy. Utilizing the data from the Connie and Atucha-II experiments, we set the 90\% confidence level upper limits on the ALP-photon coupling $g_{a\gamma\gamma}$ over the axion mass range $0.1-100$ keV. We further show that, for an exposure of 30 kg$\cdot$yr, the projected sensitivity of vIOLETA exceeds the current NEON limit by a factor of three in the same mass range. This improvement would expand the explored region of the QCD axion and ALP parameter space.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Direct Detection of Leptophobic Dark Matter with Electronic Collective Excitations

Some new-generation dark matter detection experiments are primarily designed to search for the dark matter-electron interactions, but they can also be utilized to probe models in which dark matter couples exclusively to nucleon via the quantum effects. The hadronic loop-induced interactions can directly excite plasmons in semiconductors, thereby providing an additional channel for detecting the leptophobic dark matter. In this work, we investigate plasmon excitations in silicon detectors induced by boosted dark matter and cosmic-ray up-scattering dark matter via the hadronic loop process. By analyzing the available experimental data, we derive new exclusion limits on the leptophobic dark matter-nucleon scattering cross section in the sub-MeV mass range.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Enhanced Cosmic-Ray Cooling in AGN from Dark Matter Deep Inelastic Scattering

The diffusion of high-energy cosmic rays (CRs) through the dark matter (DM) spikes of active galactic nuclei entails significant energy loss via interactions with DM. While previous studies of sub-GeV DM have focused on elastic scattering, this process becomes insufficient at higher proton energies and DM masses. In this work, we investigate the CR-DM deep inelastic scattering (DIS) as mediated by a vector portal. We calculate the DIS contribution to the CR energy loss rate and derive stringent exclusion limits on the CR-DM scattering cross-section for DM masses between $10^{-6}$ GeV and $1$ GeV. For higher CR energies and mediator masses, the resulting CR cooling timescales are reduced by orders of magnitude after involving the DIS contribution, producing stringent constraints that surpass most of current experimental limits.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Hunting for Axions in REactor neutrino COherent scattering Detection Experiment

Nuclear power plants are not only vital sources of clean energy but also powerful facilities for probing new physics beyond the Standard Model. Due to the intense gamma-ray flux and an appropriate energy conditions, they are particularly well-suited for searches of light hypothetical particles such as sub-MeV axions and axion-like particles (ALPs). In this work, we propose to search for the ALPs in the REactor Neutrino COherent scattering Detection Experiment (RECODE), where two low-threshold, high-purity germanium detectors are placed at 11 m (near point) and 22 m (far point) from a 3.4 GW nuclear reactor at Sanmen nuclear power plant. With a 10 kg$\cdot$year exposure, we demonstrate that the expected sensitivities to the ALP couplings to the electrons and photons are competitive with or surpass the available results from the beam-dump experiments. A planned upgrade to 100 kg$\cdot$year will fully cover the so-called {$\it$ cosmological triangle} region, probing unexplored parameter space relevant to axions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Detecting light dark matter with prompt-delayed events in neutrino experiments

We demonstrate the prompt-delayed signals induced by knockout neutrons from the quasi-elastic scattering in neutrino experiments provides a new avenue for detecting light dark matter. As an illustration, we consider the detection of atmospheric dark matter in the liquid scintillator detectors. The results show that the constraint on the DM-nucleon interaction from KamLAND is approximately one order of magnitude more stringent than those obtained from the elastic nuclear recoil signals in dark matter direct detection experiments. Furthermore, a larger volume neutrino experiment, such as JUNO, is expected to significantly enhance the light dark matter detection sensitivity through the quasi-elastic scattering.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Polarization Signals from Axion-Photon Resonant Conversion in Neutron Star Magnetosphere

Neutron stars provide ideal astrophysical laboratories for probing new physics beyond the Standard Model. If axions exist, photons can develop linear polarization during photon-axion conversion in the magnetic field of a neutron star. We find that the plasma in the neutron star magnetosphere could dramatically enhance the polarization through the resonant conversion effect. With the polarization measurements from PSR B0656+14, 4U 0142+61, and the benchmark polarization measurement in the mid-infrared band, we demonstrate that optical and infrared polarization from neutron stars can provide strong constraints on the axion-photon coupling over a broad axion mass range $10^{-11}\lesssim m_a \lesssim 10^{-3}$ eV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Deep Inelastic Scattering in the Capture of Dark Matter by Neutron Stars

Due to the dense environment, neutron stars (NSs) can serve as an ideal laboratory for studying the interactions between dark matter (DM) and ordinary matter. In the process of DM capture, deep inelastic scattering may dominate over elastic scattering, especially for the DM with a large momentum transfer. In this work, we calculate DM-nucleon deep inelastic scattering via a vector mediator and estimate its contribution to the capture rate. Using the surface temperature of the NSs, we derive the exclusion limits for the DM-nucleon scattering cross section in the mass range, $1~{\rm GeV}<m_χ< 10^{5}~{\rm GeV}$. We find the bounds for DM with the mass $\gtrsim$ 1 GeV can be changed several times after including the deep inelastic scattering contribution.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Gravitational Wave as a Probe of Light Feebly Interacting Dark Matter

Light feebly interacting dark matter is widely predicted in a plethora of new physics models. However, due to very feeble couplings with the Standard Model particles, its relic density produced via the relativistic thermal freeze-out process easily exceeds the observed value. The entropy dilution in an early matter-dominated era provides an attractive mechanism for solving such an overabundance problem. In this work, we note that this dark matter dilution mechanism will lead to two distinctive kinks in the primordial GW spectrum, whose frequencies strongly correlate with the DM mass. We show that the GW detectors, such as Cosmic Explorer (CE) and Big Bang Observer (BBO), can measure the kinks in the primordial GW spectrum and will offer a new avenue to probe light feebly interacting dark matter.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

An Improved Bound on Accelerated Light Dark Matter

Light (sub-GeV) dark matter has gained increasing interest in terms of direct detection. Accelerated dark matter is a promising candidate that can generate detectable nuclear recoil energy within the sub-GeV range. Because of the large kinetic energy, its interactions with the nucleus are predominantly governed by inelastic scattering, including quasi-elastic and deep inelastic scattering. In this work, we calculated the inelastic effects in dark matter--Earth scattering mediated by a vector particle. Our analysis revealed that the impact of inelastic scattering relies on the mediator mass and the kinetic energy spectrum of dark matter. The results exhibited considerable disparity: the upper bounds of the exclusion limit for the spin-independent cross-section between accelerated dark matter and nuclei via a heavy mediator differ by several tens of times when inelastic scattering is considered.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Plasmon-enhanced Direct Detection Method for Boosted sub-MeV Dark Matter

Plasmon, a collective mode of electronic excitation in solid-state detectors, provides a novel way to detect light dark matter (DM). In this work, we present the conditions of DM to produce plasmon resonance, requiring relativistic velocities for light DM, and generalize the collective excitation framework to account for relativistic DM. As a demonstration, we consider the cosmic ray boosted DM (CRDM) and find that the plasmon resonance can be significantly enhanced in the scenario with a light mediator. Utilizing the first data from SENSEI experiment with the skipper-CCDs at SNOLAB, we obtain a new strong limit on the sub-MeV DM-electron scattering cross section.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Search for light dark matter from atmosphere in PandaX-4T

We report a search for light dark matter produced through the cascading decay of $η$ mesons, which are created as a result of inelastic collisions between cosmic rays and Earth's atmosphere. We introduce a new and general framework, publicly accessible, designed to address boosted dark matter specifically, with which a full and dedicated simulation including both elastic and quasi-elastic processes of Earth attenuation effect on the dark matter particles arriving at the detector is performed. In the PandaX-4T commissioning data of 0.63 tonne$\cdot$year exposure, no significant excess over background is observed. The first constraints on the interaction between light dark matter generated in the atmosphere and nucleus through a light scalar mediator are obtained. The lowest excluded cross-section is set at $5.9 \times 10^{-37}{\rm cm^2}$ for dark matter mass of $0.1$ MeV$/c^2$ and mediator mass of 300 MeV$/c^2$. The lowest upper limit of $η$ to dark matter decay branching ratio is $1.6 \times 10^{-7}$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2023

Spin-dependent sub-GeV Inelastic Dark Matter-electron scattering and Migdal effect: (I). Velocity Independent Operator

The ionization signal provide an important avenue of detecting light dark matter. In this work, we consider the sub-GeV inelastic dark matter and use the non-relativistic effective field theory (NR-EFT) to derive the constraints on the spin-dependent DM-electron scattering and DM-nucleus Migdal scattering. Since the recoil electron spectrum of sub-GeV DM is sensitive to tails of galactic DM velocity distributions, we also compare the bounds on corresponding scattering cross sections in Tsallis, Empirical and standard halo models. With the XENON1T data, we find that the exclusion limits of the DM-proton/neutron and DM-electron scattering cross sections for exothermic inelastic DM are much stronger that those for the endothermic inelastic DM. Each limits of the endothermic inelastic DM can differ by an order of magnitude at most in three considered DM velocity distributions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

New Strong Bounds on sub-GeV Dark Matter from Boosted and Migdal Effects

Due to the low nuclear recoils, sub-GeV dark matter (DM) is usually beyond the sensitivity of the conventional DM direct detection experiments. The boosted and Migdal scattering mechanisms have been proposed as two new complementary avenues to search for light DM. In this work, we consider the momentum-transfer effect in the DM-nucleus scattering to derive the new bounds on sub-GeV DM for these two scenarios. We show that such an effect is sizable so that the existing bounds on the DM-nucleus scattering cross section can be improved significantly.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Accelerated Light Dark Matter-Earth Inelastic Scattering in Direct Detection

The Earth-stopping effect plays a crucial role in the direct detection of sub-GeV dark matter. Besides the elastic scattering process, the quasi-elastic and deep inelastic scatterings between dark matter and nucleus that are usually neglected can dominate the interaction, especially in the accelerated dark matter scenarios, which may affect the dark matter detection sensitivity significantly for the underground experiments. We calculate such inelastic scattering contributions in the Earth-stopping effect and illustrate the essence of our argument with the atmospheric dark matter. With the available data, we find that the resulting upper limits on the atmospheric dark matter-nucleus scattering cross-section can differ from those only considering the elastic scattering process by one order of magnitude.

hep-ph↗