English

Accelerator-Produced Dark Matter Search using MiniBooNE

High Energy Physics - Experiment 2015-01-05 v3 High Energy Physics - Phenomenology

Abstract

Cosmology observations indicate that our universe is composed of 25% dark matter (DM), yet we know little about its microscopic properties. Whereas the gravitational interaction of DM is well understood, its interaction with the Standard Model is not. Direct detection experiments, the current standard, have a nuclear recoil interaction, low-mass sensitivity edge of order 1 GeV. To detect DM with mass below 1 GeV, either the sensitivity of the experiments needs to be improved or use of accelerators producing boosted low-mass DM are needed. Using neutrino detectors to search for low-mass DM is logical due to the similarity of the DM and ν\nu signatures in the detector. The MiniBooNE experiment, located at Fermilab on the Booster Neutrino Beamline, has produced the world's largest collection of ν\nu and νˉ\bar{\nu} samples and is already well understood, making it desirable to search for accelerator-produced boosted low-mass DM. A search for DM produced by 8.9 GeV/c protons hitting a steel beamdump has finished, collecting 1.86×1020POT1.86\times10^{20} \mathrm{POT}. Analysis techniques along with predicted sensitivity will be presented.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1411.4311,
  title  = {Accelerator-Produced Dark Matter Search using MiniBooNE},
  author = {R. T. Thornton and MiniBooNE-DM collaboration},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1411.4311},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

6 pages, 8 figures, for Physics In Collision 2014 conference proceedings

R2 v1 2026-06-22T07:00:41.418Z