XENON1T Anomaly: A Light $Z^\prime$

TL;DR

This paper interprets the low-energy electron recoil excess observed by XENON1T as evidence for a new light $Z^\u200bprime$ gauge boson within a Two Higgs Doublet Model, linking dark matter detection to new physics.

Contribution

It proposes a novel explanation for the XENON1T anomaly involving a light $Z^\u200bprime$ in a specific theoretical framework that also addresses neutrino masses and flavor issues.

Findings

Consistent interpretation of XENON1T excess with a light $Z^\u200bprime$

Compatibility with neutrino-electron scattering data

Theoretical model linking dark matter signals to new gauge bosons

Abstract

We have witnessed the beginning of an era where dark matter and neutrino detectors can probe similar new physics phenomena. Motivated by the low-energy electron recoil spectrum observed by the dark matter experiment, XENON1T, at Gran Sasso laboratory, we interpret the observed signal not in terms of a dark matter particle, but rather in the context of a new light $Z^\prime$ gauge boson. We discuss how such a light $Z^\prime$ rises in a Two Higgs Doublet Model augmented by an abelian gauge symmetry where neutrino masses and the flavor problem are addressed, in agreement with neutrino-electron scattering data.