Dark matter models with uniquely spin-dependent detection

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:11050012,
            doi = {10.48660/11050012},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/11050012},
            author = {Ligeti, Zoltan},
            keywords = {Particle Physics},
            language = {en},
            title = {Dark matter models with uniquely spin-dependent detection},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2011},
            month = {may},
            note = {PIRSA:11050012 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }
          

Abstract

It is often assumed that the first evidence for direct dark matter detection will come from experiments probing spin-independent interactions, because of higher sensitivities due to coherence effects. We explore the possibility of models that would be invisible in such experiments, but detectable via spin-dependent interactions. The existence of much larger (or only) spin-dependent tree-level interactions is not sufficient, due to potential spin-independent subdominant or loop-induced interactions. We find that most models with detectable spin-dependent interactions would also generate detectable spin-independent interactions. Models in which a light pseudoscalar acts as the mediator seem to uniquely evade this conclusion. We present a viable dark matter model generating such an interaction.