A comprehensive analysis of the dark matter direct detection experiments in the mirror dark matter framework

TL;DR

This paper evaluates mirror dark matter as a comprehensive explanation for various direct detection experiments, accounting for systematic uncertainties and demonstrating its consistency with recent experimental data.

Contribution

It provides a detailed confrontation of mirror dark matter theory with recent experimental results, including DAMA, CoGeNT, CDMS/Ge, EdelweissII, and CRESSTII, considering key uncertainties.

Findings

Mirror dark matter explains DAMA and CoGeNT data without channeling.

The theory is consistent with recent CDMS/Ge, EdelweissII, and CRESSTII results.

Potential experimental tests are proposed for future validation.

Abstract

Mirror dark matter offers a framework to explain the existing dark matter direct detection experiments. Here we confront this theory with the most recent experimental data, paying attention to the various known systematic uncertainties, in quenching factor, detector resolution, galactic rotational velocity and velocity dispersion. We perform a detailed analysis of the DAMA and CoGeNT experiments assuming a negligible channeling fraction and find that the data can be fully explained within the mirror dark matter framework. We also show that the mirror dark matter candidate can explain recent data from the CDMS/Ge, EdelweissII and CRESSTII experiments and we point out ways in which the theory can be further tested in the near future.