Directional Dark Matter Detection Beyond the Neutrino Bound

TL;DR

This paper investigates how direction-sensitive detection techniques can help dark matter experiments surpass the neutrino background limit, enabling detection of weaker interactions than previously possible.

Contribution

It provides a quantitative analysis of the potential for directional detectors to extend dark matter sensitivity beyond the neutrino floor.

Findings

Direction sensitivity can significantly improve dark matter detection limits.

Directional detection helps distinguish dark matter signals from neutrino backgrounds.

Quantitative models show potential to reach cross-sections below 10^(-48) cm^2.

Abstract

Coherent scattering of solar, atmospheric and diffuse supernovae neutrinos creates an irreducible background for direct dark matter experiments with sensitivities to WIMP-nucleon spin-independent scattering cross-sections of 10^(-46)-10^(-48) cm^2, depending on the WIMP mass. Even if one could eliminate all other backgrounds, this "neutrino floor" will limit future experiments with projected sensitivities to cross-sections as small as 10^(-48) cm^2. Direction-sensitive detectors have the potential to study dark matter beyond the neutrino bound by fitting event distributions in multiple dimensions: recoil kinetic energy, recoil track angle with respect to the sun, and event time. This work quantitatively explores the impact of direction-sensitivity on the neutrino bound in dark matter direct detection.