Toward A Consistent Picture For CRESST, CoGeNT and DAMA

TL;DR

This paper compares signals from DAMA/LIBRA, CoGeNT, and CRESST-II dark matter detection experiments, analyzing their consistency and implications for a 10 GeV dark matter particle, considering astrophysical uncertainties.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of experimental signals and discusses the potential for a unified dark matter interpretation, including the role of non-Maxwellian dark matter distributions.

Findings

CoGeNT and CRESST-II signals are consistent with each other and with CDMS-II constraints.

DAMA/LIBRA and CoGeNT modulation signals are compatible but show higher-than-expected amplitudes.

Tidal streams or non-Maxwellian structures could reconcile observed modulation amplitudes.

Abstract

Three dark matter direct detection experiments (DAMA/LIBRA, CoGeNT, and CRESST-II) have each reported signals which are not consistent with known backgrounds, but resemble that predicted for a dark matter particle with a mass of roughly $\sim$10 GeV and an elastic scattering cross section with nucleons of $\sim$$10^{-41}$--$10^{-40}$ cm$^2$. In this article, we compare the signals of these experiments and discuss whether they can be explained by a single species of dark matter particle, without conflicting with the constraints of other experiments. We find that the spectrum of events reported by CoGeNT and CRESST-II are consistent with each other and with the constraints from CDMS-II, although some tension with xenon-based experiments remains. Similarly, the modulation signals reported by DAMA/LIBRA and CoGeNT appear to be compatible, although the corresponding amplitude of the observed modulations are a factor of at least a few higher than would be naively expected, based on the event spectra reported by CoGeNT and CRESST-II. This apparent discrepancy could potentially be resolved if tidal streams or other non-Maxwellian structures are present in the local distribution of dark matter.