Light Dark Matter Search with Ionization Signals in XENON1T

2019/07/31 by E. Aprile, J. Aalbers, F. Agostini +136 · 7 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic physics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Dark matter #Ion #Ionization #Particle physics #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #Physics #Quantum mechanics #astro-ph.CO #hep-ex

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.123.251801

published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 251801 (2019)

arxiv created 2019/12/17 · openalex publication_date 2019/12/17 · arxiv updated 2019/12/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

We report constraints on light dark matter (DM) models using ionization signals in the XENON1T experiment. We mitigate backgrounds with strong event selections, rather than requiring a scintillation signal, leaving an effective exposure of (22±3) tonne day. Above ∼0.4 keV_ee, we observe <1 event/(tonne day keV_ee), which is more than 1000 times lower than in similar searches with other detectors. Despite observing a higher rate at lower energies, no DM or CEvNS detection may be claimed because we cannot model all of our backgrounds. We thus exclude new regions in the parameter spaces for DM-nucleus scattering for DM masses m_χ within 3-6 GeV/c², DM-electron scattering for m_χ>30 MeV/c², and absorption of dark photons and axionlike particles for m_χ within 0.186-1 keV/c².

Citations

• Particle dark matter: evidence, candidates and constraints
• Low-energy (0.7-74 keV) nuclear recoil calibration of the LUX dark matter experiment using D-D neutron scattering kinematics
• Results from a Search for Dark Matter in the Complete LUX Exposure
• Two distinct components of the delayed single electron noise in liquid xenon emission detectors
• Review of Particle Physics
• XENON1T dark matter data analysis: Signal and background models and statistical inference
• Measurement of the ionization yield from nuclear recoils in liquid xenon between 0.3 -- 6 keV with single-ionization-electron sensitivity

Cited by

• Dark matter interpretation of excesses in multiple direct detection experiments
• Dark kinetic heating of neutron stars from contact interactions with relativistic targets
• Detecting Low-Energy Interactions and the Effects of Energy Accumulation in Materials
• Searching for sub-MeV boosted dark matter from xenon electron direct detection *
• New Projections for Dark Matter Searches with Paleo-Detectors
• Astrophysical constraints on nonstandard coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering
• Investigation of background electron emission in the LUX detector