Directional direct detection of MeV scale boosted dark matter in two component dark matter scenario via dark photon interaction
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study explores a two-component dark matter model in which one component, heavier dark matter, annihilates into a lighter dark matter. The lighter dark matter is expected to generate detectable signals in detectors due to its enhanced momentum, enabling direct detection even for MeV-scale dark matter. We investigate the effectiveness of directional direct detections, especially the nuclear emulsion detector NEWSdm, in verifying these boosted dark matter particles through nuclear recoil. In particular, we focus on light nuclei, such as protons and carbon, as suitable targets for this detection method due to their high sensitivity to MeV-scale dark matter. By modeling the interactions mediated by a dark photon in a hidden U(1) D gauge symmetry framework, we calculate the expected dark matter flux and scattering rates for various detector configurations. Our results show that nuclear emulsions have the potential to yield distinct, direction-sensitive dark matter signals from the Galactic center, providing a new way to probe low-mass dark matter parameter spaces that evade conventional detection methods.
Authors: Keiko I. Nagao, Tatsuhiro Naka, Takaaki Nomura
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: Study of top quark physics based on the effective field theory as a window to new physics beyond the standard model, G2539474701, Direct Dark Matter Search with Nano Tracking Technologies, Environmental effect in direct detection of cosmic-ray accerated light dark matter, New physics beyond the Standard Model explored through single-top quark production, G3919599526, G5825571352, Inelastic scattering of light dark matter arriving from direction of the Galactic center
OpenAlex ID: W4409327929