Direct and indirect detection of hot and cold dark matter
Abstract
In Part One we estimate the magnitude of the signals expected for realistic cosmic neutrino backgrounds in detectors attempting to measure the mechanical forces exerted on macroscopic targets by the elastic scattering of relic neutrinos. We study effects proportional to the weak coupling constant G F and to G2F for Dirac and Majorana neutrinos, either relativistic or non-relativistic, both gravitationally bound or not. In Part Two we examine the detectability of collisionless dark matter candidates that may constitute not all but only a subdominant component of galactic cold dark matter. Regarding direct detection of WIMPs we find that neutralinos may remain detectable even if they constitute only 1% of the halo dark matter. Regarding indirect detection, we find that upward-going muon fluxes in underground detectors from neutralino annihilations in the Sun can remain above the threshold of detectability of 10 muons/km 2/yr for neutralinos composing 1% or more of the halo dark matter. Similarly, signals from neutralino annihilations in the Earth can also remain high for neutralino densities of 1% of the halo.
- Publication:
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Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- October 2003
- Bibcode:
- 2003PhDT.........8D
- Keywords:
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- Physics: Elementary Particles and High Energy, Physics: Astronomy and Astrophysics