Resolving astrophysical uncertainties in dark matter direct detection
Abstract
We study the impact of the assumed velocity distribution of galactic dark matter particles on the interpretation of results from nuclear recoil detectors. By converting experimental data to variables that make the astrophysical unknowns explicit, different experiments can be compared without implicit assumptions concerning the dark matter halo. We extend this framework to include the annual modulation signal, as well as multiple target elements. Recent results from DAMA, CoGeNT and CRESST-II can be brought into agreement if the velocity distribution is very anisotropic and thus allows a large modulation fraction. However constraints from CDMS and XENON cannot be evaded by appealing to such astrophysical uncertainties alone.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1111.0292,
title = {Resolving astrophysical uncertainties in dark matter direct detection},
author = {Mads T. Frandsen and Felix Kahlhoefer and Christopher McCabe and Subir Sarkar and Kai Schmidt-Hoberg},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1111.0292},
year = {2012}
}
Comments
31 pages, 15 figures. v2: matches published version