Model-Independent Identification of Inelastic WIMPs from Direct Dark Matter Detection Experiments

TL;DR

This paper presents a model-independent method for identifying inelastic WIMPs and reconstructing their properties from direct detection data, demonstrating that a small number of signals can distinguish inelastic from elastic scattering and accurately determine WIMP parameters.

Contribution

The paper introduces novel, model-independent data analysis procedures for identifying inelastic WIMPs and reconstructing their mass and mass splitting from direct detection experiments.

Findings

Approximately 50 observed signals can distinguish inelastic from elastic WIMP scattering.

Combining multiple data sets allows for WIMP mass and splitting reconstruction with less than a factor of two uncertainty.

The methods are effective with limited data, enhancing dark matter detection capabilities.

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce model-independent data analysis procedures for identifying inelastic WIMP-nucleus scattering as well as for reconstructing the mass and the mass splitting of inelastic WIMPs simultaneously and separately. Our simulations show that, with O(50) observed WIMP signals from one experiment, one could already distinguish the inelastic WIMP scattering scenarios from the elastic one. By combining two or more data sets with positive signals, the WIMP mass and the mass splitting could even be reconstructed with statistical uncertainties of less than a factor of two.