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arXiv · 2301.03010

Search for light dark matter from atmosphere in PandaX-4T

Xuyang Ning·Abdusalam Abdukerim·Zihao Bo·Wei Chen·Xun Chen·Yunhua Chen·Chen Cheng·Zhaokan Cheng·Xiangyi Cui·Yingjie Fan·Deqing Fang·Changbo Fu·Mengting Fu·Lisheng Geng·Karl Giboni·Linhui Gu·Xuyuan Guo·Chencheng Han·Ke Han·Changda He·Jinrong He·Di Huang·Yanlin Huang·Zhou Huang·Ruquan Hou·Xiangdong Ji·Yonglin Ju·Chenxiang Li·Jiafu Li·Mingchuan Li·Shu Li·Shuaijie Li·Qing Lin·Jianglai Liu·Xiaoying Lu·Lingyin Luo·Yunyang Luo·Wenbo Ma·Yugang Ma·Yajun Mao·Yue Meng·Ningchun Qi·Zhicheng Qian·Xiangxiang Ren·Nasir Shaheed·Changsong Shang·Xiaofeng Shang·Guofang Shen·Lin Si·Wenliang Sun·Andi Tan·Yi Tao·Anqing Wang·Meng Wang·Qiuhong Wang·Shaobo Wang·Siguang Wang·Wei Wang·Xiuli Wang·Zhou Wang·Yuehuan Wei·Mengmeng Wu·Weihao Wu·Jingkai Xia·Mengjiao Xiao·Xiang Xiao·Pengwei Xie·Binbin Yan·Xiyu Yan·Jijun Yang·Yong Yang·Yukun Yao·Chunxu Yu·Jumin Yuan·Ying Yuan·Zhe Yuan·Xinning Zeng·Dan Zhang·Minzhen Zhang·Peng Zhang·Shibo Zhang·Shu Zhang·Tao Zhang·Yang Zhang·Yingxin Zhang·Yuanyuan Zhang·Li Zhao·Qibin Zheng·Jifang Zhou·Ning Zhou·Xiaopeng Zhou·Yong Zhou·Yubo Zhou·Liangliang Su·Lei Wu
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Abstract

We report a search for light dark matter produced through the cascading decay of $\eta$ mesons, which are created as a result of inelastic collisions between cosmic rays and Earth's atmosphere. We introduce a new and general framework, publicly accessible, designed to address boosted dark matter specifically, with which a full and dedicated simulation including both elastic and quasi-elastic processes of Earth attenuation effect on the dark matter particles arriving at the detector is performed. In the PandaX-4T commissioning data of 0.63 tonne$\cdot$year exposure, no significant excess over background is observed. The first constraints on the interaction between light dark matter generated in the atmosphere and nucleus through a light scalar mediator are obtained. The lowest excluded cross-section is set at $5.9 \times 10^{-37}{\rm cm^2}$ for dark matter mass of $0.1$ MeV$/c^2$ and mediator mass of 300 MeV$/c^2$. The lowest upper limit of $\eta$ to dark matter decay branching ratio is $1.6 \times 10^{-7}$.

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Xuyang Ning, Abdusalam Abdukerim, Zihao Bo, Wei Chen, Xun Chen, Yunhua Chen, Chen Cheng, Zhaokan Cheng, Xiangyi Cui, Yingjie Fan, Deqing Fang, Changbo Fu, Mengting Fu, Lisheng Geng, Karl Giboni, Linhui Gu, Xuyuan Guo, Chencheng Han, Ke Han, Changda He, Jinrong He, Di Huang, Yanlin Huang, Zhou Huang, Ruquan Hou, Xiangdong Ji, Yonglin Ju, Chenxiang Li, Jiafu Li, Mingchuan Li, Shu Li, Shuaijie Li, Qing Lin, Jianglai Liu, Xiaoying Lu, Lingyin Luo, Yunyang Luo, Wenbo Ma, Yugang Ma, Yajun Mao, Yue Meng, Ningchun Qi, Zhicheng Qian, Xiangxiang Ren, Nasir Shaheed, Changsong Shang, Xiaofeng Shang, Guofang Shen, Lin Si, Wenliang Sun, Andi Tan, Yi Tao, Anqing Wang, Meng Wang, Qiuhong Wang, Shaobo Wang, Siguang Wang, Wei Wang, Xiuli Wang, Zhou Wang, Yuehuan Wei, Mengmeng Wu, Weihao Wu, Jingkai Xia, Mengjiao Xiao, Xiang Xiao, Pengwei Xie, Binbin Yan, Xiyu Yan, Jijun Yang, Yong Yang, Yukun Yao, Chunxu Yu, Jumin Yuan, Ying Yuan, Zhe Yuan, Xinning Zeng, Dan Zhang, Minzhen Zhang, Peng Zhang, Shibo Zhang, Shu Zhang, Tao Zhang, Yang Zhang, Yingxin Zhang, Yuanyuan Zhang, Li Zhao, Qibin Zheng, Jifang Zhou, Ning Zhou, Xiaopeng Zhou, Yong Zhou, Yubo Zhou, Liangliang Su, Lei Wu. 2023-01-08. Search for light dark matter from atmosphere in PandaX-4T. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.131.041001

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