Calorimetric Dark Matter Detection With Galactic Center Gas Clouds

TL;DR

This paper proposes using gas clouds near the Galactic center to test dark matter interactions, setting new bounds on certain dark matter models and discussing detection prospects.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method of dark matter detection via heating of Galactic center gas clouds, providing new constraints on dark matter properties.

Findings

Set leading bounds on nucleon scattering for 10-100 MeV dark matter.

Constrained millicharged dark matter models, including EDGES anomaly explanations.

Discussed detection prospects using Galactic center gas clouds.

Abstract

We demonstrate that dark matter heating of gas clouds hundreds of parsecs from the Milky Way Galactic center provides a powerful new test of dark matter interactions. To illustrate, we set a leading bound on nucleon scattering for 10-100 MeV mass dark matter. We also constrain millicharged dark matter models, including those proposed to match the recent EDGES 21 cm absorption anomaly. For Galactic center gas clouds, galactic fields' magnetic deflection of electromagnetically charged dark matter is mitigated, because the magnetic fields around the Galactic center are poloidal, as opposed to being aligned parallel to the Milky Way disk. We discuss prospects for detecting dark matter using a population of Galactic center gas clouds warmed by dark matter.