Complementarity of dark matter direct detection targets
File(s)1012.3458v2.pdf (634.29 KB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We investigate the reconstruction capabilities of the dark matter mass and spin-independent cross section from future ton-scale direct detection experiments using germanium, xenon, or argon as targets. Adopting realistic values for the exposure, energy threshold, and resolution of dark matter experiments which will come online within 5 to 10 years, the degree of complementarity between different targets is quantified. We investigate how the uncertainty in the astrophysical parameters controlling the local dark matter density and velocity distribution affects the reconstruction. For a 50 GeV WIMP, astrophysical uncertainties degrade the accuracy in the mass reconstruction by up to a factor of ∼4 for xenon and germanium, compared to the case when astrophysical quantities are fixed. However, the combination of argon, germanium, and xenon data increases the constraining power by a factor of ∼2 compared to germanium or xenon alone. We show that future direct detection experiments can achieve self-calibration of some astrophysical parameters, and they will be able to constrain the WIMP mass with only very weak external astrophysical constraints.
Date Issued
2011-04-11
Date Acceptance
2010-12-22
Citation
Physical Review D, 2011, 83 (8)
ISSN
1550-7998
Publisher
American Physical Society
Journal / Book Title
Physical Review D
Volume
83
Issue
8
Copyright Statement
© 2011 The American Physical Society
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Physics, Particles & Fields
Physics
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
PHYSICS, PARTICLES & FIELDS
BAYESIAN-INFERENCE
CIRCULAR VELOCITY
MODEL SELECTION
PARAMETERS
COSMOLOGY
EFFICIENT
PHYSICS
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
083505