Abstract
WIMPless dark matter provides a framework in which dark matter particles with a wide range of masses naturally have the correct thermal relic density. We show that WIMPless dark matter with mass around 2–10 GeV can explain the annual modulation observed by the DAMA experiment without violating the constraints of other dark matter searches. This explanation implies distinctive and promising signals for other direct detection experiments, GLAST, and the LHC.
Highlights
Dark matter makes up 24% of the energy density of the Universe, but its identity is unknown
DAMA’s relative sensitivity to this region follows from its low energy threshold and the lightness of Na nuclei. This region is extended to lower masses and cross sections by the effects of channeling [11,12,13] and may be broadened if dark matter streams exist in the solar neighborhood [10], arising, for example, from the destruction of Galactic satellites [14,15]
WIMPless dark matter provides a framework in which dark matter candidates with a wide range of masses naturally have the correct thermal relic density [23]
Summary
Dark matter makes up 24% of the energy density of the Universe, but its identity is unknown. At present all incontrovertible evidence for dark matter is based on its gravitational interactions. The observed modulation has period T = 0.998 ± 0.003 years and maximum at t = 144 ± 8 days, both perfectly consistent with the values T = 1 year and t = 152 days expected for dark matter, given simple astrophysical assumptions. Doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2008.10.038 more than one experiment under the unifying umbrella of a plausible theoretical framework. Toward this end, we here propose a dark matter explanation that has well-motivated features and determine other observable predictions that may be used to exclude or favor the proposed explanation
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