XENON1T anomaly and its implication for decaying warm dark matter

102

Motivated by the recent XENON1T results, we explore various new physics models that can be discovered through searches for electron recoils in $$ \mathcal{O} $$ O (keV)-threshold direct-detection experiments. First, we consider the absorption of axion-like particles, dark photons, and scalars, either as dark matter relics or being produced directly in the Sun. In the latter case, we find that keV mass bosons produced in the Sun provide an adequate fit to the data but are excluded by stellar cooling constraints. We address this tension by introducing a novel Chameleon-like axion model, which can explain the excess while evading the stellar bounds. We find that absorption of bosonic dark matter provides a viable explanation for the excess only if the dark matter is a dark photon or an axion. In the latter case, photophobic axion couplings are necessary to avoid X-ray constraints. Second, we analyze models of dark matter-electron scattering to determine which models might explain the excess. Standard scattering of dark matter with electrons is generically in conflict with data from lower-threshold experiments. Momentum-dependent interactions with a heavy mediator can fit the data with dark matter mass heavier than a GeV but are generically in tension with collider constraints. Next, we consider dark matter consisting of two (or more) states that have a small mass splitting. The exothermic (down)scattering of the heavier state to the lighter state can fit the data for keV mass splittings. Finally, we consider a subcomponent of dark matter that is accelerated by scattering off cosmic rays, finding that dark matter interacting though an $$ \mathcal{O} $$ O (100 keV)-mass mediator can fit the data. The cross sections required in this scenario are, however, typically challenged by complementary probes of the light mediator. Throughout our study, we implement an unbinned Monte Carlo analysis and use an improved energy reconstruction of the XENON1T events.

Section: Jhep01(2021)178mentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring new physics with O(keV) electron recoils in direct detection experiments

Bloch

Caputo

Essig

et al. 2021

102

“…However, if there exists a non-vanishing kinetic mixing between U(1) B−L gauge boson and the SM photon, we may have signals of the electron recoil for 10 − 100keV energy regime in those experiments (see, e.g. [40]). As regards the small gauge coupling, we further notice that the model is featured by V B−L ≥ O(10 12 )GeV for m A of our interest.…”

Section: Jhep01(2021)057 5 Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dark photon dark matter in the minimal B − L model

Choi

Yanagida

Yokozaki

2021

Self Cite

The extension of the Standard model (SM) with three heavy right handed neutrinos, a complex scalar and the gauged U(1)B−L symmetry (the minimal B − L model) is considered the most compelling minimal one: the presence and the out-of-equilibrium decay of the heavy right handed neutrinos can account for the small masses of the active neutrinos and the baryon asymmetry of the universe. A natural accompanying question concerns whether the minimal B − L model can naturally accommodate an interesting dark matter (DM) candidate. We study the possibility where the current DM population is explained by the gauge boson of U(1)B−L symmetry. We discuss how the minimal set-up originally aimed at the seesaw mechanism and the leptogenesis is connected to conditions making the gauge boson promoted to a DM candidate.

“…Moreover, there are many theoretical attempts to interpret the XENON1T signal assuming new physics beyond the SM such as, boosted dark matter [27][28][29][30][31][32], dark radiation [33,34], anomalous magnetic moment of muon [23,35], inelastic DM-electron scattering [36][37][38][39][40][41], axion-like DM [10,42]. Besides, there are some proposals using a gauged U (1) X extention of the SM, where a gauge boson Z contributes to dark matter (DM) [43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51]. A detailed study of electron-neutrino scattering in the framework of U (1) X was presented in [52].…”

Section: Jhep12(2020)194mentioning

confidence: 99%

Shedding new light on sterile neutrinos from XENON1T experiment

Shakeri

Hajkarim

Xue

2020

The XENON1T collaboration recently reported the excess of events from recoil electrons, possibly giving an insight into new area beyond the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. We try to explain this excess by considering effective interactions between the sterile neutrinos and the SM particles. In this paper, we present an effective model based on one-particle-irreducible interaction vertices at low energies that are induced from the SM gauge symmetric four-fermion operators at high energies. The effective interaction strength is constrained by the SM precision measurements, astrophysical and cosmological observations. We introduce a novel effective electromagnetic interaction between sterile neutrinos and SM neutrinos, which can successfully explain the XENON1T event rate through inelastic scattering of the sterile neutrino dark matter from Xenon electrons. We find that sterile neutrinos with masses around 90 keV and specific effective coupling can fit well with the XENON1T data where the best fit points preserving DM constraints and possibly describe the anomalies in other experiments.