Limits on the WIMP-nucleon scattering cross-section from neutrino telescopes

TL;DR

Neutrino telescopes like IceCube provide stronger constraints on spin-dependent WIMP-proton interactions than direct detection experiments, based on non-observation of neutrino signals from the Sun.

Contribution

This paper demonstrates that neutrino telescope data can set tighter limits on certain WIMP properties than direct detection methods, with detailed analysis of assumptions and uncertainties.

Findings

IceCube constrains spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross-section more tightly than direct detection.

Limits on spin-independent cross-section are comparable between IceCube and direct detection.

Provided conversion factors for translating neutrino flux limits into WIMP-proton cross-section constraints.

Abstract

Neutrino-telescopes like Super-Kamiokande and IceCube have started to explore the neutrino fluxes from WIMP annihilations in the Sun. The non-observation of a signal can put constraints on the WIMP properties. We here focus on the neutrino signal from WIMP annihilation in the Sun and show that under reasonable assumptions, the non-observation of a signal from IceCube puts a much tighter constraint on the spin-dependent WIMP-proton scattering cross-section than current direct detection experiments like COUPP and KIMS. For the spin-independent scattering cross-section, the limits from IceCube and current direct detection experiments like XENON10 and CDMS place similar constraints. We here go through the assumptions being made and the uncertainties that arise in converting from limits on the muon flux from the Sun to limits on the WIMP-proton cross-section, and present our results as easy to use conversion factors.