Non-relativistic effective theory of dark matter direct detection

Dark matter direct detection searches for signals coming from dark matter scattering against nuclei at a very low recoil energy scale ∼ 10 keV. In this paper, a simple non-relativistic effective theory is constructed to describe interactions between dark matter and nuclei without referring to any un...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of cosmology and astroparticle physics 2010-11, Vol.2010 (11), p.042-42
Main Authors: Fan, JiJi, Reece, Matthew, Wang, Lian-Tao
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ASTROPHYSICS
ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
COSMOLOGY
ENERGY MODELS
FIELD OPERATORS
FIELD THEORIES
FORM FACTORS
GLUONS
KEV RANGE
NONLUMINOUS MATTER
PARTICLE IDENTIFICATION
QUARKS
RECOILS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
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Summary:Dark matter direct detection searches for signals coming from dark matter scattering against nuclei at a very low recoil energy scale ∼ 10 keV. In this paper, a simple non-relativistic effective theory is constructed to describe interactions between dark matter and nuclei without referring to any underlying high energy models. It contains the minimal set of operators that will be tested by direct detection. The effective theory approach highlights the set of distinguishable recoil spectra that could arise from different theoretical models. If dark matter is discovered in the near future in direct detection experiments, a measurement of the shape of the recoil spectrum will provide valuable information on the underlying dynamics. We bound the coefficients of the operators in our non-relativistic effective theory by the null results of current dark matter direct detection experiments. We also discuss the mapping between the non-relativistic effective theory and field theory models or operators, including aspects of the matching of quark and gluon operators to nuclear form factors.
ISSN:1475-7516
1475-7516
DOI:10.1088/1475-7516/2010/11/042