Simultaneous detection of boosted dark matter and neutrinos from the semi-annihilation at DUNE

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential for DUNE to simultaneously detect boosted dark matter and neutrinos resulting from semi-annihilation, providing a new method to test momentum-dependent dark matter models below 8 GeV.

Contribution

It introduces a novel detection strategy at DUNE for semi-annihilation signals, combining neutrino and boosted dark matter detection to probe low-mass dark matter.

Findings

Both signals are detectable if dark matter mass is below 8 GeV.

Detection is feasible with momentum transfer dependent cross sections.

Combination with other experiments extends the mass range for detection.

Abstract

Dark matter direct detection experiments impose the strong bounds on thermal dark matter scenarios. The bound can naturally be evaded if the cross section is momentum transfer or velocity dependent. One can test such thermal dark matter scenarios if dark matter particles are boosted by some mechanism. In this work, we consider a specific semi-annihilation $\chi\chi\to \nu\overline{\chi}$ where $\chi$ ($\overline{\chi}$) is dark matter (anti-dark matter), and search for simultaneous detection of the neutrino and the boosted dark matter in the final state at DUNE. We find that the energies of the neutrino and boosted dark matter are reconstructed by kinematics. In addition, we find that both signals can be testable at DUNE if the dark matter mass is below $8~\mathrm{GeV}$, and the scattering cross section is momentum transfer dependent. Even for larger dark matter masses, the two signals can be tested by combination of DUNE and the other experiments such as IceCube/DeepCore and Hyper-Kamiokande.