Paper

Probing Benchmark Models of Hidden-Sector Dark Matter with DAMIC-M

Dastgheibi-Fard, A, Privitera, P, Noonan, J, Zhu, C, Lopez-Virto, A, Hossbach, T, Chavarria, A E, Gaïor, R, Smida, R, McGuire, K J, Venegas-Vargas, D, Yajur, R, E -L Gkougkousis, Cuevas-Zepeda, J, Kavanagh, B J, Zhu, Y, Traina, M, Vilar, R, Aggarwal, K, Iddir, L, Kilminster, B, Lin, H, Munagavalasa, S, Loaiza, P, Settimo, M, Paul, S, Duarte-Campderros, J, Arnquist, I, Lou, R, Deligny, O, Letessier-Selvon, A, Robmann, P, Lawson, I, Estrada, E, Avalos, N, De Dominicis, C, Norcini, D, Roach, B, DAMIC-M Collaboration, Lantero-Barreda, A, Castelló-Mor, N, Bertou, X

2025

Overview

We report on a search for sub-GeV dark matter (DM) particles interacting with electrons using the DAMIC-M prototype detector at the Modane Underground Laboratory. The data feature a significantly lower detector single \\(e^-\\) rate (factor 50) compared to our previous search, while also accumulating a ten times larger exposure of \\(\\sim\\)1.3 kg-day. DM interactions in the skipper charge-coupled devices (CCDs) are searched for as patterns of two or three consecutive pixels with a total charge between 2 and 4 \\(e^-\\). We find 144 candidates of 2 \\(e^-\\) and 1 candidate of 4 \\(e^-\\), where 141.5 and 0.071, respectively, are expected from background. With no evidence of a DM signal, we place stringent constraints on DM particles with masses between 1 and 1000 MeV/\\(c^2\\) interacting with electrons through an ultra-light or heavy mediator. For large ranges of DM masses below 1 GeV/c\\(^2\\), we exclude theoretically-motivated benchmark scenarios where hidden-sector particles are produced as a major component of DM in the Universe through the freeze-in or freeze-out mechanisms.

• Publisher: Cornell University Library, arXiv.org
• Subject: Benchmarks / Charge coupled devices / Dark matter / Electrons