On the annual modulation signal in dark matter direct detection

Abstract

We derive constraints on the annual modulation signal in Dark Matter (DM) direct detection experiments in terms of the unmodulated event rate. A general bound independent of the details of DM distribution follows from the assumption that the motion of the earth around the sun is the only source of time variation. The bound is valid for a very general class of particle physics models and also holds in the presence of an unknown unmodulated background. More stringent bounds are obtained, if modest assumptions on symmetry properties of the DM halo are adopted. We illustrate the bounds by applying them to the annual modulation signals reported by the DAMA and CoGeNT experiments in the framework of spin-independent elastic scattering. While the DAMA signal satisfies our bounds, severe restrictions on the DM mass can be set for CoGeNT.

discussion of CoGeNT surface event subtraction added, improved statistical analysis, version to appear in JCAP, 29 pages, 9 figures, 3 appendices

References in corpus (13)

• First results from DAMA/LIBRA and the combined results with DAMA/NaI
• Search for an Annual Modulation in a P-type Point Contact Germanium Dark Matter Detector
• The Astrophysical Uncertainties Of Dark Matter Direct Detection Experiments
• Annual Modulation of Dark Matter in the Presence of Streams
• Resolving astrophysical uncertainties in dark matter direct detection
• Interpreting Dark Matter Direct Detection Independently of the Local Velocity and Density Distribution
• On the DAMA and CoGeNT Modulations
• Dark Matter attempts for CoGeNT and DAMA
• DAMA and CoGeNT without astrophysical uncertainties
• Using the Energy Spectrum at DAMA/LIBRA to Probe Light Dark Matter
• Model-Independent Determination of the WIMP Mass from Direct Dark Matter Detection Data
• A CoGeNT Modulation Analysis
• Probing dark matter streams with CoGeNT

Cited by in corpus (28)

• Annual Modulation of Dark Matter: A Review
• Exclusion of Leptophilic Dark Matter Models using XENON100 Electronic Recoil Data
• Astrophysics independent bounds on the annual modulation of dark matter signals
• Generalized Halo Independent Comparison of Direct Dark Matter Detection Data
• Direct detection of Light Anapole and Magnetic Dipole DM
• Halo-independent methods for inelastic dark matter scattering
• Anisotropic dark matter distribution functions and impact on WIMP direct detection
• Halo-independent analysis of direct detection data for light WIMPs
• Update on Light WIMP Limits: LUX, lite and Light
• Quantifying (dis)agreement between direct detection experiments in a halo-independent way
• On the direct detection of multi-component dark matter: sensitivity studies and parameter estimation
• Model-independent comparison of annual modulation and total rate with direct detection experiments
• Quantifying the evidence for Dark Matter in CoGeNT data
• Decoherence as a way to measure extremely soft collisions with dark matter
• Halo-independent tests of dark matter direct detection signals: local DM density, LHC, and thermal freeze-out
• Reevaluation of spin-dependent WIMP-proton interactions as an explanation of the DAMA data
• What is the probability that direct detection experiments have observed Dark Matter?
• Bracketing the impact of astrophysical uncertainties on local dark matter searches
• Halo-independent determination of the unmodulated WIMP signal in DAMA: the isotropic case
• Direct Detection of Light "Ge-phobic" Exothermic Dark Matter
• Time-dependent rate of multicomponent dark matter: Reproducing the DAMA/LIBRA phase-2 results
• Pinning down inelastic dark matter in the Sun and in direct detection
• Halo-independent tests of dark matter annual modulation signals
• Halo-independent comparison of direct dark matter detection data: a review
• Direct Detection Anomalies in light of $Gaia$ Data
• A Spin-Dependent Interpretation for Possible Signals of Light Dark Matter
• A halo-independent lower bound on the dark matter capture rate in the Sun from a direct detection signal
• Comparisons of annual modulations in MINOS with the event rate modulation in CoGeNT