An official website of the United States government
The statistical models used to derive the results of experimental analyses are of incredible scientific value andare essential information for analysis preservation and reuse. In this paper, we make the scientific case for systematically publishing the full statistical models and discuss the technical developments that make this practical. By means of a variety of physics cases -including parton distribution functions, Higgs boson measurements, effective field theory interpretations, direct searches for new physics, heavy flavor physics, direct dark matter detection, world averages, and beyond the Standard Model global fits -we illustrate how detailed information on the statistical modelling can enhance the short- and long-term impact of experimental results.
more »
« less
Recommended conventions for reporting results from direct dark matter searches
Abstract The field of dark matter detection is a highly visible and highly competitive one. In this paper, we propose recommendations for presenting dark matter direct detection results particularly suited for weak-scale dark matter searches, although we believe the spirit of the recommendations can apply more broadly to searches for other dark matter candidates, such as very light dark matter or axions. To translate experimental data into a final published result, direct detection collaborations must make a series of choices in their analysis, ranging from how to model astrophysical parameters to how to make statistical inferences based on observed data. While many collaborations follow a standard set of recommendations in some areas, for example the expected flux of dark matter particles (to a large degree based on a paper from Lewin and Smith in 1995), in other areas, particularly in statistical inference, they have taken different approaches, often from result to result by the same collaboration. We set out a number of recommendations on how to apply the now commonly used Profile Likelihood Ratio method to direct detection data. In addition, updated recommendations for the Standard Halo Model astrophysical parameters and relevant neutrino fluxes are provided. The authors of this note include members of the DAMIC, DarkSide, DARWIN, DEAP, LZ, NEWS-G, PandaX, PICO, SBC, SENSEI, SuperCDMS, and XENON collaborations, and these collaborations provided input to the recommendations laid out here. Wide-spread adoption of these recommendations will make it easier to compare and combine future dark matter results.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 2112803
- PAR ID:
- 10347226
- Author(s) / Creator(s):
- ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; more »
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The European Physical Journal C
- Volume:
- 81
- Issue:
- 10
- ISSN:
- 1434-6044
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
We examine a real electroweak triplet scalar field as dark matter,abandoning the requirement that its relic abundance is determinedthrough freeze out in a standard cosmological history (a situation whichwe refer to as `miracle-less WIMP’). We extract the bounds on such aparticle from collider searches, searches for direct scattering withterrestrial targets, and searches for the indirect products ofannihilation. Each type of search provides complementary information,and each is most effective in a different region of parameter space. LHCsearches tend to be highly dependent on the mass of the SU(2) chargedpartner state, and are effective for very large or very tiny masssplitting between it and the neutral dark matter component. Directsearches are very effective at bounding the Higgs portal coupling, butineffective once it falls below \lambda_{\text{eff}} \lesssim 10^{-3} λ eff ≲ 10 − 3 .Indirect searches suffer from large astrophysical uncertainties due tothe backgrounds and J J -factors,but do provide key information for \sim ∼ 100 GeV to TeV masses. Synthesizing the allowed parameter space, thisexample of WIMP dark matter remains viable, but only in miracle-lessregimes.more » « less
-
null (Ed.)In this review, we consider a general theoretical framework for fermionic color-singlet states—including a singlet, a doublet, and a triplet under the Standard Model SU(2) L gauge symmetry, corresponding to the bino, higgsino, and wino in supersymmetric theories—generically dubbed electroweakinos for their mass eigenstates. Depending on the relations among these states’ three mass parameters and their mixing after the electroweak symmetry breaking, this sector leads to a rich phenomenology that may be accessible in current and near-future experiments. We discuss the decay patterns of electroweakinos and their observable signatures at colliders, review the existing bounds on the model parameters, and summarize the current statuses of the comprehensive searches by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations at the Large Hadron Collider. We also comment on the prospects for future colliders. An important feature of the theory is that the lightest neutral electroweakino can be identified as a weakly interacting massive particle cold dark matter candidate. We take into account the existing bounds on the parameters from the dark matter direct detection experiments and discuss the complementarity of the electroweakino searches at colliders.more » « less
-
This whitepaper focuses on the astrophysical systematics which are encountered in dark matter searches. Oftentimes in indirect and also in direct dark matter searches, astrophysical systematics are a major limiting factor to sensitivity to dark matter. Just as there are many forms of dark matter searches, there are many forms of backgrounds. We attempt to cover the major systematics arising in dark matter searches using photons -- radio and gamma rays -- to cosmic rays, neutrinos and gravitational waves. Examples include astrophysical sources of cosmic messengers and their interactions which can mimic dark matter signatures. In turn, these depend on commensurate studies in understanding the cosmic environment -- gas distributions, magnetic field configurations -- as well as relevant nuclear astrophysics. We also cover the astrophysics governing celestial bodies and galaxies used to probe dark matter, from black holes to dwarf galaxies. Finally, we cover astrophysical backgrounds related to probing the dark matter distribution and kinematics, which impact a wide range of dark matter studies. In the future, the rise of multi-messenger astronomy, and novel analysis methods to exploit it for dark matter, will offer various strategic ways to continue to enhance our understanding of astrophysical backgrounds to deliver improved sensitivity to dark matter.more » « less
-
Recent advances in quantum sensors, including atomic clocks, enable searches for a broad range of dark matter candidates. The question of the dark matter distribution in the Solar system critically affects the reach of dark matter direct detection experiments. Partly motivated by the NASA Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC), we show that space quantum sensors present new opportunities for ultralight dark matter searches, especially for dark matter states bound to the Sun. We show that space quantum sensors can probe unexplored parameter space of ultralight dark matter, covering theoretical relaxion targets motivated by naturalness and Higgs mixing. If an atomic clock were able to make measurements on the interior of the solar system, it could probe this highly sensitive region directly and set very strong constraints on the existence of such a bound-state halo in our solar system. We present sensitivity projections for space-based probes of ultralight dark matter which couples to electron, photon, and gluon fields, based on current and future atomic, molecular, and nuclear clocks.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-021-09655-y
