Model Independent analysis of MeV scale dark matter

TL;DR

This paper investigates MeV-scale dark matter using a model-independent approach, showing that despite constraints from cosmology and astrophysics, a large viable parameter space remains, which could be explored by future experiments like CRESST-II and Belle-II.

Contribution

It provides a model-independent analysis of MeV-scale dark matter, identifying viable parameter space and potential detection avenues beyond existing constraints.

Findings

Significant parameter space remains viable for MeV-scale dark matter.

Future experiments like CRESST-II and Belle-II could detect this dark matter.

Cosmological and astrophysical constraints do not exclude all MeV-scale DM.

Abstract

Recent results from direct detection experiments such as LUX, PANDAX-II and XENON100 have imposed severe constraints on the multi-GeV mass window in various dark matter (DM) models. However, many of these experiments are not sensitive to MeV scale DM as the corresponding recoil energies are, largely, lower than the detector thresholds. Re-examining the light scalar DM in a model-independent approach, we find that while the parameter space can be constrained using cosmological and astrophysical observations, a significantly large fraction is still viable. We further demonstrate that the remaining parameter space lends itself to the possibility of discovery at both direct detection experiments (such as CRESST-II) as well as in a low-energy collider such as Belle-II.