Observing a light dark matter beam with neutrino experiments

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that fixed-target neutrino experiments like LSND and MiniBooNE can effectively detect light dark matter particles, providing stronger constraints than other methods, especially for MeV-scale dark matter with light mediators.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to detect MeV-scale dark matter via neutrino experiments, surpassing previous direct detection constraints.

Findings

High sensitivity of LSND and MiniBooNE to light dark matter.

Strong constraints on kinetically-mixed vector mediators in the 1-5 MeV range.

Exclusion of significant parameter space for dark matter explaining the 511 keV line.

Abstract

We consider the sensitivity of fixed-target neutrino experiments at the luminosity frontier to light stable states, such as those present in models of MeV-scale dark matter. To ensure the correct thermal relic abundance, such states must annihilate via light mediators, which in turn provide an access portal for direct production in colliders or fixed targets. Indeed, this framework endows the neutrino beams produced at fixed-target facilities with a companion `dark matter beam', which may be detected via an excess of elastic scattering events off electrons or nuclei in the (near-)detector. We study the high luminosity proton fixed-target experiments at LSND and MiniBooNE, and determine that the ensuing sensitivity to light dark matter generally surpasses that of other direct probes. For scenarios with a kinetically-mixed U(1)' vector mediator of mass m_V, we find that a large volume of parameter space is excluded for m_DM ~ 1-5 MeV, covering vector masses 2 m_DM < m_V < m_eta and a range of kinetic mixing parameters reaching as low as kappa ~ 10^{-5}. The corresponding MeV-scale dark matter scenarios motivated by an explanation of the galactic 511 keV line are thus strongly constrained.