Reconstructing the three-dimensional local dark matter velocity distribution

TL;DR

This paper compares methods for reconstructing the three-dimensional local dark matter velocity distribution using directional detection data, demonstrating that empirical parametrisation can accurately recover DM properties and distinguish halo models.

Contribution

It introduces and evaluates an empirical, model-independent approach for reconstructing the local DM velocity distribution from directional detection data, without assuming a specific functional form.

Findings

Empirical parametrisation accurately reconstructs DM mass and cross section.

Method captures features of the velocity distribution without assuming its form.

Discriminates between different halo substructure models.

Abstract

Directionally sensitive dark matter (DM) direct detection experiments present the only way to observe the full three-dimensional velocity distribution of the Milky Way halo local to Earth. In this work we compare methods for extracting information about the local DM velocity distribution from a set of recoil directions and energies in a range of hypothetical directional and non-directional experiments. We compare a model independent empirical parameterisation of the velocity distribution based on an angular discretisation with a model dependent approach which assumes knowledge of the functional form of the distribution. The methods are tested under three distinct halo models which cover a range of possible phase space structures for the local velocity distribution: a smooth Maxwellian halo, a tidal stream and a debris flow. In each case we use simulated directional data to attempt to reconstruct the shape and parameters describing each model as well as the DM particle properties. We find that the empirical parametrisation is able to make accurate unbiased reconstructions of the DM mass and cross section as well as capture features in the underlying velocity distribution in certain directions without any assumptions about its true functional form. We also find that by extracting directionally averaged velocity parameters with this method one can discriminate between halo models with different classes of substructure.