Abstract
We propose a new strategy to search for a particular type of dark matter via nuclear capture. If the dark matter particle carries baryon number, as motivated by a class of theoretical explanations of the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe, it can mix with the neutron and be captured by an atomic nucleus. The resulting state de-excites by emitting a single photon or a cascade of photons with a total energy of up to several MeV. The exact value of this energy depends on the dark matter mass. We investigate the prospects for detecting dark matter capture signals in current and future neutrino and dark matter direct detection experiments.
Highlights
Two of the greatest mysteries of modern particle physics are the nature of dark matter and the origin of the matterantimatter asymmetry of the universe
In this letter we focus on the first possibility, i.e., when the dark particle χ is the dark matter, and we propose a complementary method to search for χ
We explore the prospects of using large volume neutrino experiments and dark matter detectors to look for such processes
Summary
Two of the greatest mysteries of modern particle physics are the nature of dark matter and the origin of the matterantimatter asymmetry of the universe. The dark sector particle χ carries baryon number B = 1 The existence of such an interaction has been proposed as a possible solution to the neutron lifetime anomaly [1]. One of the possible neutron dark decay channels involves a dark sector particle χ and a photon in the final state, i.e., n → χγ This channel has been searched for directly in experiment and a 1% branching fraction is in tension with data [9]. In this letter we focus on the first possibility, i.e., when the dark particle χ is the dark matter, and we propose a complementary method to search for χ Since in this case χ carries baryon number B = 1, as the Earth moves through the dark matter halo in our galaxy, χ can be captured by atomic nuclei through its mixing with the neutron. We explore the prospects of using large volume neutrino experiments and dark matter detectors to look for such processes
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