Getting the astrophysics and particle physics of dark matter out of next-generation direct detection experiments

Abstract

The next decade will bring massive new data sets from experiments of the direct detection of weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter. The primary goal of these experiments is to identify and characterize the dark-matter particle species. However, mapping the data sets to the particle-physics properties of dark matter is complicated not only by the considerable uncertainties in the dark-matter model, but by its poorly constrained local distribution function (the "astrophysics" of dark matter). In this Letter, I propose a shift in how to do direct-detection data analysis. I show that by treating the astrophysical and particle physics uncertainties of dark matter on equal footing, and by incorporating a combination of data sets into the analysis, one may recover both the particle physics and astrophysics of dark matter. Not only does such an approach yield more accurate estimates of dark-matter properties, but may illuminate how dark matter coevolves with galaxies.

4 pages, 4 figures, replaced to match version accepted by Phys. Rev. D

References in corpus (8)

• Limits on the Macho Content of the Galactic Halo from the EROS-2 Survey of the Magellanic Clouds
• The WIMPless Miracle: Dark Matter Particles without Weak-scale Masses or Weak Interactions
• The Dark Disk of the Milky Way
• Reconstructing WIMP Properties in Direct Detection Experiments Including Galactic Dark Matter Distribution Uncertainties
• Detecting the Milky Way's Dark Disk
• Determining the WIMP mass from a single direct detection experiment, a more detailed study
• MIMAC : A Micro-TPC Matrix of Chambers for direct detection of Wimps
• Determination of Dark Matter Properties at High-Energy Colliders

Cited by in corpus (34)

• Astrophysical uncertainties on direct detection experiments
• Interpreting Dark Matter Direct Detection Independently of the Local Velocity and Density Distribution
• Complementarity of Dark Matter Direct Detection Targets
• Astrophysical uncertainties on the local dark matter distribution and direct detection experiments
• A Dark Matter Hurricane: Measuring the S1 Stream with Dark Matter Detectors
• Dependence of direct detection signals on the WIMP velocity distribution
• Dark Shards: velocity substructure from Gaia and direct searches for dark matter
• Handling the Uncertainties in the Galactic Dark Matter Distribution for Particle Dark Matter Searches
• A new halo-independent approach to dark matter direct detection analysis
• WIMP astronomy and particle physics with liquid-noble and cryogenic direct-detection experiments
• Shining LUX on Isospin-Violating Dark Matter Beyond Leading Order
• Fundamental statistical limitations of future dark matter direct detection experiments
• Model independent determination of the dark matter mass from direct detection experiments
• Connecting Direct Dark Matter Detection Experiments to Cosmologically Motivated Halo Models
• Quantifying (dis)agreement between direct detection experiments in a halo-independent way
• Effects of Unstable Dark Matter on Large-Scale Structure and Constraints from Future Surveys
• Improved determination of the WIMP mass from direct detection data
• Milky Way Tomography with K and M Dwarf Stars: the Vertical Structure of the Galactic Disk
• Studying generalised dark matter interactions with extended halo-independent methods
• Bracketing the impact of astrophysical uncertainties on local dark matter searches
• Probing WIMP particle physics and astrophysics with direct detection and neutrino telescope data
• What can(not) be measured with ton-scale dark matter direct detection experiments
• The Dark Matter Inverse Problem: Extracting Particle Physics from Scattering Events
• Parametrizing the local dark matter speed distribution: a detailed analysis
• Astrophysical limitations to the identification of dark matter: indirect neutrino signals vis-a-vis direct detection recoil rates
• Weak Gravitational Lensing as a Method to Constrain Unstable Dark Matter
• Constraining Dark Matter Properties with Gamma-Rays from the Galactic Center with Fermi-LAT
• Dark Matter in 3D
• Constraining the Milky Way Dark Matter Density Profile with Gamma-Rays with Fermi-LAT
• LUX Constraints on Magnetic Dark Matter in the $S\bar{E}\chi$y Model with(out) Naturality
• Dark Matter Studies Entrain Nuclear Physics
• Integrating In Dark Matter Astrophysics at Direct Detection Experiments
• Extracting information about WIMP properties from direct detection experiments: astrophysical uncertainties
• Effects of Threshold Energy on Reconstructions of Properties of Low-Mass WIMPs in Direct Dark Matter Detection Experiments