Observational constraints on dark matter scattering with electrons

Abstract

We present new observational constraints on the elastic scattering of dark matter with electrons for dark matter masses between 10 keV and 1 TeV. We consider scenarios in which the momentum-transfer cross section has a power-law dependence on the relative particle velocity, with a power-law index $n\in \{-4,-2,0,2,4,6\}$. We search for evidence of dark matter scattering through its suppression of structure formation. Measurements of the cosmic microwave background temperature, polarization, and lensing anisotropy from \textit{Planck} 2018 data and of the Milky Way satellite abundance measurements from the Dark Energy Survey and Pan-STARRS1 show no evidence of interactions. We use these data sets to obtain upper limits on the scattering cross section, comparing them with exclusion bounds from electronic recoil data in direct detection experiments. Our results provide the strongest bounds available for dark matter--electron scattering derived from the distribution of matter in the Universe, extending down to sub-MeV dark matter masses, where current direct detection experiments lose sensitivity.

modified CLASS code available at https://github.com/kboddy/class_public/tree/dmeff

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• Cosmological Constraints on Dark Matter Interactions with Ordinary Matter
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• Snowmass2021 Cosmic Frontier White Paper: Ultraheavy particle dark matter
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• Exclusion limits on Dark Matter-Neutrino Scattering Cross-section
• Millicharged Relics Reveal Massless Dark Photons
• Constraints on Dark Matter-Electron Scattering from Molecular Cloud Ionization
• Astrophysical Tests of Dark Matter Self-Interactions
• Lepton-Flavoured Scalar Dark Matter in Dark Minimal Flavour Violation
• Impact of dark matter self-scattering on its relic abundance
• The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: limits on dark matter-baryon interactions from DR4 power spectra
• Investigation of CMB constraints for dark matter-helium scattering
• Impact of freeze-in on dark matter isocurvature
• Numerical solution of the exact background collisional Boltzmann equation for dark matter-baryon scattering
• Flavoured $(g-2{)}_{\mu }$ with Dark Lepton Seasoning
• Soft Scattering Evaporation of Dark Matter Subhalos by Inner Galactic Gases
• New constraints on dark matter from superconducting nanowires