A search for light dark matter in XENON10 data

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for light dark matter particles using the XENON10 detector, setting new constraints on interaction cross sections and challenging recent interpretations of other experimental signals.

Contribution

It presents the first analysis of XENON10 data sensitive to sub-10 GeV dark matter particles, providing new exclusion limits.

Findings

Excluded cross sections >3.5x10^{-42} cm^2 at 8 GeV mass

Strongly constrained interpretations of CoGeNT and CRESST-II signals

Challenged DAMA annual modulation explanation

Abstract

We report results of a search for light (<10 GeV) particle dark matter with the XENON10 detector. The event trigger was sensitive to a single electron, with the analysis threshold of 5 electrons corresponding to 1.4 keV nuclear recoil energy. Considering spin-independent dark matter-nucleon scattering, we exclude cross sections \sigma_n>3.5x10^{-42} cm^2, for a dark matter particle mass m_{\chi}=8 GeV. We find that our data strongly constrain recent elastic dark matter interpretations of excess low-energy events observed by CoGeNT and CRESST-II, as well as the DAMA annual modulation signal.