New Fixed-Target Experiments to Search for Dark Gauge Forces

TL;DR

This paper proposes five new fixed-target experimental strategies to search for light gauge bosons associated with dark forces, leveraging existing beams and detection methods, motivated by recent astrophysical anomalies.

Contribution

It identifies production and decay properties of light gauge bosons and suggests novel experimental approaches to explore their parameter space.

Findings

Proposes five new experimental search strategies.

Summarizes existing limits on dark gauge bosons.

Aligns experimental efforts with recent astrophysical anomalies.

Abstract

Fixed-target experiments are ideally suited for discovering new MeV-GeV mass U(1) gauge bosons through their kinetic mixing with the photon. In this paper, we identify the production and decay properties of new light gauge bosons that dictate fixed-target search strategies. We summarize existing limits and suggest five new experimental approaches that we anticipate can cover most of the natural parameter space, using currently operating GeV-energy beams and well-established detection methods. Such experiments are particularly timely in light of recent terrestrial and astrophysical anomalies (PAMELA, FERMI, DAMA/LIBRA, etc.) consistent with dark matter charged under a new gauge force.