arXiv subjects

Sunghyun Kang

Publications and source records attributed to Sunghyun Kang.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Present and projected sensitivities of Dark Matter direct detection experiments to effective WIMP-nucleus couplings

Assuming for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) a Maxwellian velocity distribution in the Galaxy we explore in a systematic way the relative sensitivity of an extensive set of existing and projected Dark Matter (DM) direct detection experiments to each of the 14 couplings that parameterize the most general non-relativistic (NR) effective Hamiltonian allowed by Galilean invariance for a contact interaction driving the elastic scattering off nuclei of WIMPs of spin 1/2. We perform our analysis in terms of two free parameters: the WIMP mass $m_χ$ and the ratio between the WIMP-neutron and the WIMP-proton couplings $c^n/c^p$. We include the modified signal spectral shape due to non-standard interactions when it is needed in the determination of the bound, such as in the case of background subtraction or of the application of the optimal-interval method. For each coupling, in the $m_χ$-$c^n/c^p$ plane we provide contour plots of the most stringent 90 % C.L. bound on the WIMP-nucleon cross section and show the experiment providing it. We also introduce NRDD_constraints, a simple interpolating code written in Python that allows to obtain the numerical value of the bound as a function of the WIMP mass $m_χ$ and of the coupling ratio $c^n/c^p$ for each NR coupling. We find that 9 experiments out of the 14 present Dark Matter searches considered in our analysis provide the most stringent bound on some of the effective couplings for a given choice of $(m_χ,c^n/c^p)$: this is evidence of the complementarity of different target nuclei and/or different combinations of count-rates and energy thresholds when the search of DM is extended to a wide range of possible interactions.

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arXiv2019

Proton-philic spin-dependent inelastic Dark Matter (pSIDM) as a viable explanation of DAMA/LIBRA-phase2

We show that the Weakly Interacting Massive Particle scenario of proton-philic spin-dependent inelastic Dark Matter (pSIDM) can still provide a viable explanation of the observed DAMA modulation amplitude in compliance with the constraints from other experiments after the release of the DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 data and including the recent bound from COSINE-100, that uses the same $NaI$ target of DAMA. The pSIDM scenario provided a viable explanation of DAMA/LIBRA--phase1 both for a Maxwellian WIMP velocity distribution and in a halo-independent approach. At variance with DAMA/LIBRA-phase1, for which the modulation amplitudes showed an isolated maximum at low energy, the DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 spectrum is compatible to a monotonically decreasing one. Moreover, due to its lower threshold, it is sensitive to WIMP-iodine interactions at low WIMP masses. Due to the combination of these two effects pSIDM can now explain the yearly modulation observed by DAMA/LIBRA only when the WIMP velocity distribution departs from a standard Maxwellian. In this case the WIMP mass $m_χ$ and mass splitting $δ$ fall in the approximate ranges 7 GeV $\lesssim m_χ\lesssim$ 17 GeV and 18 keV$\lesssimδ\lesssim$29 keV. The recent COSINE-100 bound is naturally evaded in the pSDIM scenario due to its large expected modulation fractions.

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arXiv2018

Anapole Dark Matter after DAMA/LIBRA-phase2

We re-examine the case of anapole dark matter as an explanation for the DAMA annual modulation in light of the DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 results and improved upper limits from other DM searches. If the WIMP velocity distribution is assumed to be a Maxwellian, anapole dark matter is unable to provide an explanation of the DAMA modulation compatible with the other searches. Nevertheless, anapole dark matter provides a better fit to the DAMA-phase2 modulation data than an isoscalar spin-independent interaction, due to its magnetic coupling with sodium targets. A halo-independent analysis shows that explaining the DAMA modulation above 2 keVee in terms of anapole dark matter is basically impossible in face of the other null results, while the DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 modulation measurements below 2 keVee are marginally allowed. We conclude that in light of current measurements, anapole dark matter does not seem to be a viable explanation for the totality of the DAMA modulation.

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arXiv2018

Effective models of WIMP Direct Detection in DAMA/LIBRA-phase2

Since the DAMA/LIBRA collaboration released updated results from their search for the annual modulation signal expected from Dark Matter (DM) scattering in their NaI detectors, we have fitted the updated DAMA result for the modulation amplitudes for a Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) signal, parameterizing the interaction with nuclei in terms of the most general effective Lagrangian for a WIMP particle spin 1/2, systematically assuming dominance of one of the 14 possible interaction terms and a standard Maxwellian for the WIMP velocity distribution. We find that most of the couplings of the non-relativistic effective Hamiltonian can provide a better fit compared to the standard Spin Independent interaction case, and with a reduced fine-tuning of the three parameters (WIMP mass, WIMP-nucleon effective cross-section and ratio between the WIMP-neutron and the WIMP-proton couplings). In addition, effective models for which the cross section depends explicitly on the WIMP incoming velocity can provide a better fit of the DAMA data at large values of $m_χ$ compared to the standard velocity-independent cross-section due to a different phase of the modulation amplitudes. All the best fit solutions are in tension with exclusion plots of both XENON1T and PICO60.

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arXiv2018

Non-standard scaling laws of WIMP-nucleus interactions in WIMP direct detection

Guided by the non-relativistic effective field theory of interactions between Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) of spin 1/2 and nuclei we study direct detection exclusion plots for an example of non-standard spin-dependent interaction and compare it to the standard one. We analyze an extensive list of 15 existing experiments including the effects of momentum dependence and isospin violation. In our analysis, we fixed the dark matter velocity distribution to a Maxwellian.

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arXiv2018

DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 in WIMP effective models

The DAMA/LIBRA collaboration has recently released updated results from their search for the annual modulation signal expected from Dark Matter (DM) scattering in their NaI detectors. We have fitted the updated DAMA result for the modulation amplitudes in terms of a Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) signal, parameterizing the interaction with nuclei in terms of the most general effective Lagrangian for a WIMP particle spin up to 1/2, systematically assuming dominance of one of the 14 possible interaction terms, and assuming for the WIMP velocity distribution a standard Maxwellian. We find that most of the couplings of the non-relativistic effective Hamiltonian can provide a better fit compared to the standard Spin Independent interaction case, and with a reduced fine-tuning of the three parameters (WIMP mass, WIMP-nucleon effective cross-section and ratio between the WIMP-neutron and the WIMP-proton couplings). Moreover, effective models for which the cross section depends explicitly on the WIMP incoming velocity can provide a better fit of the DAMA data at large values of $m_χ$ compared to the standard velocity-independent cross-section due to a different phase of the modulation amplitudes. All the best fit solutions are in tension with exclusion plots of both XENON1T and PICO60.

hep-ph↗