Dark Matter searches using gravitational wave bar detectors: quark nuggets and newtorites

TL;DR

This paper reports on searches for exotic dark matter candidates like nuclearites and newtorites using gravitational wave bar detectors Nautilus and Explorer, setting limits on their flux and discussing detection prospects.

Contribution

It presents the first nuclearite search results with gravitational wave bar detectors and discusses potential improvements for detecting newtorites.

Findings

Set flux limits for nuclearites with mass less than 10^{-5} g

Detection mechanism differs from other experiments, offering unique advantages

Discussed potential improvements for detecting particles with gravitational interactions

Abstract

Many experiments have searched for supersymmetric WIMP dark matter, with null results. This may suggest to look for more exotic possibilities, for example compact ultra-dense quark nuggets, widely discussed in literature with several different names. Nuclearites are an example of candidate compact objects with atomic size cross section. After a short discussion on nuclearites, the result of a nuclearite search with the gravitational wave bar detectors Nautilus and Explorer is reported. The geometrical acceptance of the bar detectors is 19.5 $\rm m^2$ sr, that is smaller than that of other detectors used for similar searches. However, the detection mechanism is completely different and is more straightforward than in other detectors. The experimental limits we obtain are of interest because, for nuclearites of mass less than $10^{-5}$ g, we find a flux smaller than that one predicted considering nuclearites as dark matter candidates. Particles with gravitational only interactions (newtorites) are another example. In this case the sensitivity is quite poor and a short discussion is reported on possible improvements.