Search for inelastic scattering of WIMP dark matter in XENON1T

TL;DR

This study searches for inelastic WIMP dark matter interactions in the XENON1T detector, setting new upper limits on interaction cross-sections for WIMPs over 100 GeV/c², with no significant detection observed.

Contribution

First search for inelastic WIMP scattering in XENON1T, establishing new exclusion limits for WIMPs heavier than 100 GeV/c².

Findings

No evidence of inelastic WIMP scattering detected.

Set upper limits on WIMP-nucleus cross-section, strongest at 3.3×10⁻³⁹ cm² for 130 GeV/c² WIMPs.

Excluded new parameter space for heavy WIMPs.

Abstract

We report the results of a search for the inelastic scattering of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) in the XENON1T dark matter experiment. Scattering off $^{129}$Xe is the most sensitive probe of inelastic WIMP interactions, with a signature of a 39.6 keV de-excitation photon detected simultaneously with the nuclear recoil. Using an exposure of 0.89 tonne-years, we find no evidence of inelastic WIMP scattering with a significance of more than 2$\sigma$. A profile-likelihood ratio analysis is used to set upper limits on the cross-section of WIMP-nucleus interactions. We exclude new parameter space for WIMPs heavier than 100 GeV/c${}^2$, with the strongest upper limit of $3.3 \times 10^{-39}$ cm${}^2$ for 130 GeV/c${}^2$ WIMPs at 90\% confidence level.