Dark sector studies with the PADME experiment

TL;DR

The PADME experiment searches for dark sector particles like dark photons using positron beams and missing mass techniques, providing new constraints on potential dark matter mediators and measuring standard model processes at low energies.

Contribution

This paper presents the first physics results of the PADME experiment, including constraints on dark sector particles and measurements of standard model cross-sections at low energies.

Findings

Constraints on dark photon parameters established

First measurement of $e^+e^-\rightarrow \gamma\gamma$ cross-section at 21 MeV

Demonstrated the experiment's capability for dark sector searches

Abstract

The Positron Annihilation to Dark Matter Experiment (PADME) uses the positron beam of the DA$\Phi$NE Beam-Test Facility, at the Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati (LNF) to search for a Dark Photon $A'$. The search technique studies the missing mass spectrum of single-photon final states in $e^+e^-\rightarrow A'\gamma$ annihilation in a positron-on-thin-target experiment. This approach facilitates searches for new particles such as long lived Axion-Like-Particles, protophobic X bosons and Dark Higgs. This talk illustrated the scientific program of the experiment and its first physics results. In particular, the measurement of the cross-section of the SM process $e^+e^-\rightarrow \gamma\gamma$ at $\sqrt{s}$=21 MeV was shown.