Sub-GeV Dark Matter Detection with Dark Rates in Liquid Scintillators

TL;DR

This paper explores how large liquid scintillator detectors can detect sub-GeV dark matter through annual modulation signals, expanding previous methods by including ionization channels and multiple experiments.

Contribution

It generalizes prior work by incorporating ionization channels and analyzing various liquid scintillator detectors for dark matter detection.

Findings

Multiple detectors can achieve competitive sensitivity.

The technique can be validated and refined across experiments.

Liquid scintillators are promising for sub-GeV dark matter detection.

Abstract

It was recently shown that standard sub-GeV dark matter candidates can be effectively probed by large neutrino observatories via annual modulation of the total photomultiplier hit rate. That work focused on the production of light by the excitation of scintillator molecules and considered the JUNO detector, surpassing limits from dedicated dark-matter detectors and reaching theoretical targets. Here, we significantly generalize that work, now also taking into account ionization channels and extending the analysis to other liquid-scintillator detectors, including SNO+, Daya Bay, Borexino, and KamLAND. Last, we present a call to action: with multiple detectors achieving competitive sensitivity, there is an opportunity to validate this new technique across experiments and to refine it using each detector's strengths.