Atmospheric resonant production for light dark sectors

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that cosmic ray atmospheric showers can efficiently produce MeV-scale dark sector particles, with resonant positron annihilation being the dominant mechanism, and updates constraints on light dark matter models from various experiments.

Contribution

It introduces atmospheric resonant production as a significant mechanism for light dark sector particles and provides updated experimental constraints based on this process.

Findings

Resonant positron annihilation dominates dark particle production in atmospheric showers.

Quantitative analysis of dark photon production in the atmosphere.

Updated experimental constraints on light dark matter models.

Abstract

Cosmic ray atmospheric showers provide an effective environment for the production of MeV-scale dark sector particles. We show that, when available, the resonant annihilation of positrons from the shower on atmospheric electrons is the dominant production mechanism by more than an order of magnitude. We provide a quantitative example based on dark photon production and update existing constraints on a corresponding light dark matter model from kilotons neutrino experiments and xenon-based direct detection experiments.