Explaining DAMA with proton-philic spin-dependent inelastic Dark Matter (pSIDM): a frequentist analysis

TL;DR

This paper performs a comprehensive frequentist analysis of proton-philic spin-dependent inelastic Dark Matter (pSIDM) to evaluate its ability to explain the DAMA modulation signal, updating parameter ranges with recent experimental constraints and velocity distribution models.

Contribution

It introduces a halo-independent and a Maxwellian-based analysis framework for pSIDM, providing updated parameter ranges and computational methods for efficient likelihood evaluation.

Findings

pSIDM remains a viable explanation for DAMA signal.

Updated WIMP mass range: 12.5-15.7 GeV (halo-independent), 11.4-13.6 GeV (Maxwellian).

Mass splitting δ range: 22.1-26.1 keV (halo-independent), 24.4-27.0 keV (Maxwellian).

Abstract

Proton-philic spin-dependent inelastic Dark Matter is a Weakly Inelastic Massive Particle scenario that can explain the DAMA yearly modulation effect in compliance with the constraints from other direct detection Dark Matter searches. We obtain updated ranges for its parameters both in a halo-independent approach and adopting a truncated Maxwellian for the WIMP velocity distribution constructing approximate frequentist confidence intervals from an effective chi-square including, among others, the latest experimental constraints from XENON1T, PANDAX-II, SuperCDMS and CDMSlite. In the halo-independent analysis we have implemented the dependence on the WIMP velocity distribution through a step-wise parameterization of the halo function. For the calculation of the profile likelihood we used a Markov Chain Montecarlo generator that required a large number of evaluations of the expected rates. To reduce computational time we introduced expected rates expressions suitable for a fast evaluation through tabulation and interpolation. Our frequentist analysis confirms the present viability of the pSIDM scenario as a possible explanation of the DAMA effect. In terms of the WIMP mass $m_{\chi}$ and of the mass splitting $\delta$ we find the 1-sigma ranges $\mbox{12.5 GeV} \le m_{\chi}\le \mbox{15.7 GeV}$, $\mbox{22.1 keV} \le \delta \le \mbox{26.1 keV}$ for the halo--independent analysis and $\mbox{11.4 GeV} \le m_{\chi}\le \mbox{13.6 GeV}$, $\mbox{24.4 keV} \le \delta \le \mbox{27.0 keV}$ for the Maxwellian case. We find that a full year of data taking of XENON1T should allow to start probing the pSIDM scenario.