Atomic Ionization by keV-scale Pseudoscalar Dark Matter Particles

TL;DR

This paper calculates atomic ionization rates caused by keV-scale pseudoscalar dark matter particles using relativistic Hartree-Fock approximation, providing numerical results and analytical formulas applicable to various atoms and systems.

Contribution

It introduces a method to compute ionization rates for pseudoscalar dark matter particles, including analytical formulas for broad applicability.

Findings

Ionization rates for atoms like Ar, Ge, I, Xe are computed.

Analytical formulas fit numerical results with high accuracy.

Results aid direct dark matter detection experiments.

Abstract

Using the relativistic Hartree-Fock approximation, we calculate the rates of atomic ionization by absorption of pseudoscalar particles in the mass range from 10 to $\sim$ 50 keV. We present numerical results for atoms relevant for the direct dark matter searches (e.g. Ar, Ge, I and Xe), as well as the analytical formula which fits numerical calculations with few per cent accuracy and may be used for multi-electron atoms, molecules and condensed matter systems.