Probing Long Range Scalar Dark Forces in Terrestrial Experiments

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a hypothetical long-range scalar force between dark matter particles could affect terrestrial experiments, constraining such forces through astrophysical observations and laboratory tests, and exploring implications for dark matter detection.

Contribution

It provides new constraints on dark long-range forces using terrestrial experiments, astrophysical data, and collider results, especially focusing on scalar singlet and WIMP dark matter models.

Findings

Dark forces of astrophysical relevance are largely ruled out by relic density and WEP constraints.

WEP tests limit Higgs-exchange contributions to dark matter direct detection.

Combined observations further restrict the strength of potential dark sector long-range forces.

Abstract

A long range Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) violating force between Dark Matter (DM) particles, mediated by an ultralight scalar, is tightly constrained by galactic dynamics and large scale structure formation. We examine the implications of such a "dark force" for several terrestrial experiments, including E\"otv\"os tests of the WEP and direct-detection DM searches. The presence of a dark force implies a non-vanishing effect in E\"otv\"os tests that could be probed by current and future experiments depending on the DM model. For scalar singlet DM scenarios, a dark force of astrophysically relevant magnitude is ruled out in large regions of parameter space by the DM relic density and WEP constraints. WEP tests also imply constraints on the Higgs-exchange contributions to the spin-independent (SI) DM-nucleus direct detection cross-section. For WIMP scenarios, these considerations constrain Higgs-exchange contributions to the SI cross-section to be subleading compared to gauge-boson mediated contributions. The combination of observations from galactic dynamics, large scale structure formation, E\"otv\"os experiments, DM-direct-detection experiments, and colliders can further constrain the size of new long range forces in the dark sector.