Solar neutrinos as background in dark matter searches involving electron detection

TL;DR

This paper evaluates how solar neutrinos, especially low-energy pp neutrinos, can serve as a significant background in electron-based dark matter detection experiments, potentially mimicking dark matter signals.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed estimation of solar neutrino backgrounds for light dark matter searches using electron detectors, highlighting the impact of low-energy pp neutrinos.

Findings

Low-energy pp neutrinos pose a significant background near the expected dark matter signal rate.

Boron neutrinos are less problematic as a background in these experiments.

Abstract

In the present work we estimate the potential background of solar neutrinos on electron detectors. These detectors are considered relevant for detecting light dark matter particles in the MeV region, currently sought by experiments. We find that the copious low energy pp neutrinos are a dangerous background at the energies involved in these experiments, in fact close to the anticipated event rate, while the more energetic Boron neutrinos are harmless