Detection of sub-GeV Dark Matter and Solar Neutrinos via Chemical-Bond Breaking

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel low-threshold detection method for sub-GeV dark matter and solar neutrinos based on breaking chemical bonds, enabling new sensitivity to light dark matter particles and low-energy solar neutrinos.

Contribution

It introduces a new detection concept utilizing chemical-bond breaking with low energy thresholds, expanding the search for light dark matter and solar neutrinos.

Findings

Calculates expected dark matter dissociation rates in molecules.

Suggests chemical-bond breaking could detect solar neutrinos.

Discusses practical detection strategies.

Abstract

We explore a new low-threshold direct-detection concept for dark matter, based on the breaking of chemical bonds between atoms. This includes the dissociation of molecules and the creation of defects in a lattice. With thresholds of a few to 10's of eV, such an experiment could probe the nuclear couplings of dark matter particles as light as a few MeV. We calculate the expected rates for dark matter to break apart diatomic molecules, which we take as a case study for more general systems. We briefly mention ideas for how chemical-bond breaking might be detected in practice. We also discuss the possibility of detecting solar neutrinos, including pp neutrinos, with this experimental concept. With an event rate of $\mathcal{O}$(0.1/kg-year), large exposures are required, but measuring low-energy solar neutrinos would provide a crucial test of the solar model.