Determining the WIMP Mass from Direct Dark Matter Detection Data

TL;DR

This paper introduces a model-independent method to determine the mass of WIMPs from direct detection data, avoiding assumptions about WIMP density and cross section, and effective with around 50 events.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach that allows WIMP mass estimation directly from experimental data without relying on unknown astrophysical parameters.

Findings

Method works with approximately 50 events

Independent of WIMP density near Earth

Does not require knowledge of WIMP-nuclear cross section

Abstract

Weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) are one of the leading candidates for Dark Matter. So far we can use direct Dark Matter detection to estimate the mass of halo WIMPs only by fitting predicted recoil spectra to future experimental data. Here we develop a model-independent method for determining the WIMP mass by using experimental data directly. This method is independent of the as yet unknown WIMP density near the Earth as well as of the WIMP-nuclear cross section and can be used to extract information about WIMP mass with O(50) events.