Resonant Dark Matter

TL;DR

This paper introduces resonant dark matter (rDM), a new scattering mechanism involving a resonance that selectively probes certain dark matter velocities, potentially explaining experimental discrepancies in direct detection.

Contribution

It proposes a novel resonant scattering model for dark matter that is element-dependent and can reconcile DAMA/LIBRA results with other experiments.

Findings

Resonant scattering enhances modulation signals.

The model predicts element-specific cross sections.

It aligns with DAMA/LIBRA observations without conflicting with other data.

Abstract

It is usually assumed that dark matter direct detection is sensitive to a large fraction of the dark matter (DM) velocity distribution. We propose an alternative form of dark matter-nucleus scattering which only probes a narrow range of DM velocities due to the existence of a resonance, a DM-nucleus bound state, in the scattering - resonant dark matter (rDM). The scattering cross section becomes highly element dependent, has increased modulation and as a result can explain the DAMA/LIBRA results whilst not being in conflict with other direct detection experiments. We describe a simple model that realizes the dynamics of rDM, where the DM is the neutral component of a fermionic weak triplet whose charged partners differ in mass by approximately 10 MeV.