Dark Matter stimulated neutrinoless double beta decay

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel method for detecting light dark matter particles by stimulating neutrinoless double beta decay in unstable nuclei, offering a new avenue for dark matter research beyond traditional elastic scattering techniques.

Contribution

It introduces a new detection approach using stimulated double beta decay induced by dark matter, expanding the search for light dark matter candidates.

Findings

Expected signal distributions for various dark matter masses.

Upper limits on nucleus scattering cross sections.

Comparison with existing data for $^{136}$Xe.

Abstract

Nuclei that are unstable with respect to double beta decay are investigated in this work for a novel Dark Matter (DM) direct detection approach. In particular, the diagram responsible for the neutrinoless double beta decay will be considered for the possible detection technique of a Majorana DM fermion inelastically scattering on a double beta unstable nucleus, stimulating its decay. The exothermic nature of the stimulated double beta decay would allow the direct detection also of a light DM fermion, a class of DM candidates that are difficult or impossible to investigate with the traditional elastic scattering techniques. The expected signal distribution for different DM masses and the upper limits on the nucleus scattering cross sections, are shown and compared with the existing data for the case of $^{136}$Xe nucleus.