Ultraheavy dark matter search with electron microscopy of geological quartz
Abstract
Self-interactions within the dark sector could clump dark matter into heavy composite states with low number density, leading to a highly suppressed event rate in existing direct detection experiments. However, the large interaction cross section between such ultraheavy dark matter (UHDM) and standard model matter results in a distinctive and compelling signature; long, straight damage tracks as they pass through and scatter with matter. In this work, we propose using geologically old quartz samples as large-exposure detectors for UHDM. We describe a high-resolution readout method based on electron microscopy, characterize the most favorable geological samples for this approach, and study its reach in a simple model of the dark sector. The advantage of this search strategy is twofold; the age of geological quartz compensates for the low number density of ultraheavy composite dark matter, and the distinct geometry of the damage track serves as a high-fidelity background rejection tool.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review D
- Pub Date:
- July 2021
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevD.104.015041
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2105.03998
- Bibcode:
- 2021PhRvD.104a5041E
- Keywords:
-
- High Energy Physics - Phenomenology;
- Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics;
- High Energy Physics - Experiment
- E-Print:
- 9 pages, 3 figures