New Concept for Electron Beam-Dump Experiment Utilizing Directional WIMP Detector

TL;DR

This paper proposes using a low-pressure negative-ion TPC detector behind an electron beam dump to significantly improve the detection sensitivity for light dark matter, leveraging directional signatures to distinguish signals from backgrounds.

Contribution

It introduces a novel detector setup with enhanced sensitivity for light dark matter detection and highlights the potential of directional signatures for background discrimination.

Findings

Sensitivity exceeds existing limits by several orders of magnitude.

Directional signatures enable detection despite backgrounds.

Potential to probe dark matter parameter space consistent with relic density.

Abstract

Light dark matter in the context of dark sector theories is an attractive candidate for the dark matter thought to make up the bulk of the mass of our universe. We explore here the possibility of using a low-pressure, negative-ion, time projection chamber detector to search for light dark matter behind the beam dump of an electron accelerator. The sensitivity of a 10 m long detector is several orders of magnitude better than existing limits. This sensitivity includes regions of parameter space where light dark matter is predicted to have a required relic density consistent with measured dark matter density. Backgrounds at shallow depth will need to be considered carefully. However, several signatures exist, including a powerful directional signature, which will allow a detection even in the presence of backgrounds.